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Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  H580 

(716)  872-4503 


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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  IVIicroreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


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Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliogniphiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  ^vhich  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  wigniticantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


D 
D 
D 
D 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 

Covers  damaged/ 
Couverture  endommag6e 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaur^e  et/ou  pellicul6e 

Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 


I      I    Coloured  maps/ 


Cartes  g6ographiques  en  couleur 


□    Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

□    Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

□    Bound  with  other  material/ 
Reli6  avec  d'autres  documents 


D 


D 


D 


Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  reliure  serrde  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  int6rieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajouties 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais.  lorsqua  cela  6tait  possible,  cee  pages  n'ont 
pas  At*  filmies. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  suppl6mentaires: 


L'Institut  a  microfilm*  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  6t6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  ddtails 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-dtre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  methods  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiqu6s  ci-dessous. 


I      I   Coloured  pages/ 


Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommag^es 


□    Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restaurdes  et/ou  pelliculdes 

□    Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  d6color6es,  tachetdes  ou  piqu6es 

□    Pages  detached/ 
Pages  ddtachdes 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

Quality  o1'  prir 

Quality  indgaie  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  materif 
Comprend  du  materiel  supplimentaire 


I      I    Showthrough/ 

I      I    Quality  ol'  print  varies/ 

I      I    Includes  supplementary  material/ 


D 
D 


Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  bast  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  6t6  filmies  A  nouveau  de  faqon  A 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


Th 
to 


Th 
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of 
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Ol 
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th 
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This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  fiimA  au  taux  de  reduction  indiquA  ci-dessous. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


y 


12X 


16X 


20X 


26X 


30X 


a4x 


28X 


32X 


ills 

du 

difier 

jne 

lage 


The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 

The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


L'exemplaire  film6  fut  reproduit  grAce  A  la 
gAnArositA  de: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 

Les  images  suivantes  ont  6tA  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  nettetA  de  I'exemplaire  film6,  at  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  di;  contrat  de 
filmage. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprim^e  sont  film6s  en  commenpant 
par  le  pramier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  selon  le  cas.  Tous  les  auties  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  filrn^s  en  commenpant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  -^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END  "), 
whichever  applies. 


Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  — ^>  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  m  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
film6s  d  des  taux  de  reduction  diffdrents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clich6,  il  est  filmd  A  partir 
de  I'angle  supdrieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  ndcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mdthode. 


rata 

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32X 


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2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

^m 


FIFTH  AVENUE  TO  ALASKA 


BY 


EDWARD   PIERREPONT.  B.A. 

(CHRIST   CHURCH,   OXFORD) 
MEMBRE    DU    CLUB    ALPIN    SUISSE 


WITH  MAPS 

BY 

LEONARD   FORBES   BECKWITH,  C.E. 

(ECOLE   CENTRALE,    PARIS) 


G.  P.  PUTNAM'S   SONS 

New  York:  27  and  29  West  230  Strekt 

London  :  25  Henrietta  Street,  Covent  Garden 

1884 


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"IV  , 


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Copyright, 

By  G.  p.  PUTNAM'S   SONS, 

X884. 


/"nss  Of 

G,  P.  Putnam'.    Sons 

New    York 


•*-- 


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»^*fit  |*!^..iM|'^^!ii^ifr«w>i|ti,»)»p*,r#TO ," 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   I. 


Introduction 


PAGE 

I 


CHAFFER   II. 
Summary  of  the  Journey 2 

CHAPTER    III. 
From  New  York  to  Omaha,  and  from  Omaha  to  Salt  Lake        .        5 

CHAPTER   IV. 
The  Mormon  City  and  the  Mormons 17 


CHAPTER  V. 
From  Salt  Lake  City  to  San  Francisco 

CHAPl^ER  VI. 


41 


San    Francisco.  —  The  Bay.  —  The  Markets.  —  The  Buildings. 
—  The  Chinese  Quarter 43 

CHAPTER  VII. 

To  the  Yosemite  Valley 52 

iii 


27S;]S 


PQCific  N.  W.  History  Dept. 

PROVINCIAU  L-lBRARY 


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IV 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 


CHAri'KR   VIII. 
The  Yosemite  Valley 58 

CHAPTER  IX. 

From  the  Yosemite  to  the  Calaveras  Groves.  —  The  Big  Trees. 
—  North  and  South  Groves.  —  Fishing,  Bear-hunting,  etc.     .      69 

CHAPTER  X. 

Return  to  San  Francisco.  —  The  Climate.  —  Public  and  Private 
Buildings,  etc 90 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Mcnlo  Park.  —  Gov.  Stanford's  Horses.  —  Mr.  Flood's  Country 
Place.  — Mr.  D.  O.  Mills 94 


CHAPTER  XII. 
Cliff  House.  — Sea-Lions.  —  Golden-Gate  Park  . 

CHAPTER  XIII. 


97 


The  Chinese.  —  William  T.Coleman's  Speech.  —  The  Chinese 
Quarter 99 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
San  Francisco  to  Astoria.  —  Columbia  River.  —  Portland  .        .110 

CHAPTER  XV. 

The  Willamette  Valley.  —  Oregon  and  California  Railroad         .     125 

CHAPTER  XVI 

Passing  through  Puget  Sound  to  Victoria.  —  Victoria.  —  British 
Columbia.  —  The  Treaty  surrendering  the  Line  of  54040'. 
—  Big  Clams. — Vancouver's  Island 129 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

From  Victoria  to  Alaska,  Steamer  "  l-ureka " 


•  • 


141 


|iHjjg;pilk,l»yi|i)UPi(Mi5)i-j<pi 


69 


90 


94 


97 


99 


no 


125 


129 


141 


CONTENTS.  V 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

PAGE 

Alaska. —  Indians.  —  Scenery.  —  Lyncli-Law.  —  Resources.  — 
Climate,  etc 149 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Kilesnoo.  —  Bartlett's  Cove.  —  Pyramid  Harbor.  —  Salmon-Can- 
nery   196 

CHAPTER   XX. 

Climate.  —  Soil. —  Products  of  Alaska.  —  Back  to  Victoria       .    217 

CHAPTER   XXI. 

Back  to  Victoria.  —  From  Victoria  to  Portland.  —  The  Forest 
Fires 223 

CHAFFER   XXII. 

From  Portland  along  the  Columbia  River. —  The  Cascades.  — 
The  Dalles.  —  The  Cliffs.  —  The  Northern  Pacific  Road  to 
Bozeman 224 

CHAPTER   XXIII. 
Bozeman.  —  Henry  Ward  Beecher        .        .        .        .        .        .231 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
Yellowstone  Park lyj 

CHAPTER   XXV. 
Tour  of  the  Park 249 

CHAPTER   XXVI. 

Lost  in  the    Hoodoo    Mountains  wh'.lc  hunting    Elk    and  Big- 

Horn 265 

chapt1':r  XXVII. 

Back  at  Mammoth  Springs  Hotel,  —  The  Shooting  of  a  Woman,    309 


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Livingston  to  St.  Paul 


Chicago  again 


CONTENTS. 
CHAFFKR   XXVIII. 

CHAPTER   XXIX. 
CHAPTER   XXX. 


•  • 


■  • 


warn 

312 


.    316 


Home  again 


CHAPTER   XXXI. 


Chapter  not  to  be  Read 


319 


320 


PAGB 
312 


316 


319 


320 


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FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE  TO  ALASKA. 


*  ♦  » 


CHAPTER  I. 


INTRODUCTION. 

The  writer  is  quite  aware  that  he  needs  an 
introduction  since  he  wishes  to  be  read,  and  is 
assured  by  everybody  that  an  unknown  author 
will  not  be  read  by  anybody :  But  how  to  be- 
come a  "  known  "  author  before  one  has  pub- 
lished anything  is  the  puzzle. 

I  take  comfort,  however,  on  remembering  a 
remark  of  Mr.  Gladstone,  who  said  that  if  the 
maiden  speech  of  Disraeli  in  the  House  of 
Commons,  hissed  down  and  ridiculed  as  it  was, 
had  been  made  by  Lord  Beaconsfield,  it  would 
have  been  considered  a  great  oratorical  effort. 

I  had  seen  something  of  the  older  civilization 
of  Europe,  and  wanted  to  see  the  newer  civil- 
ization of  the  Great  West,  and  the  savage  life 
of  our  newly  acquired  "  Russian  Possessiohs." 


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FROM  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


%''. 


CHAPTER   II. 


^^■ 


SUMMARY   OF  THE  JOURNEY. 

On  the  last  day  of  May,  1883,  in  company 
with  my  father,  I  left  Fifth  Avenue  for  Alaska. 

We  went  by  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  to 
Ogden,  and  down  to  the  Mormon  city  of  Salt 
Lake,  then  back  to  Ogden,  and  by  the  Central 
Pacific  Road  to  San  Francisco.  After  visiting 
the  Yosemite  Valley,  and  the  North  and  South 
groves  of  giant  trees  in  Calaveras  County,  San 
Rafael,  and  Menlo  Park,  we  passed  from  San 
Francisco  Bay  through  the  Golden  Gate,  and 
up  the  Pacific  Ocean  by  steamer  to  Astoria; 
thence  up  the  Columbia  River  to  the  junction 
of  the  Willamette  River,  and  up  the  Willamette 
to  Portland ;  thence  up  the  Willamette  Valley 
by  the  Oregon  and  California  Railroad,  two 
hundred  and  sixty-two  miles,  to  Glendale,  its 
present  terminus  ;  then  back  to  Portland,  and 
through  Puget  Sound  to  Victoria,  and  on 
through  the  British  waters  to  Alaska,  reaching  a 
latitude  where  there  was  no  night,  and  where  the 
sun  rose  some  four  hours  after  he  set.     Hav- 


SUMMARY  OF   THE  JOURNEY. 


3. 


ing  sailed  in  the  fiords,  straits,  bays,  and  inlets 
of  Alaska,  above  two  thousand  miles,  returning 
by  way  of  Victoria  and  Puget  Sound  to  Port- 
land, where  we  took  the  Northern  Pacific  Rail- 
way, passing  through  the  magnificent  scenery 
of  the  great  Columbia  River,  and  continuing 
on  that  road  until  we  reached  Bozeman,  where 
at  Fort  Ellis  we  took  a  go-v'ernment  escort,  and 
passed  through  the  country  seventy-five  miles 
(camping  out  two  nights)  to  Yellowstone  Park. 
After  making  a  tour  of  the  park,  I  went  into 
the  "  Goblin  Land"  of  the  Hoodoo  Mountains 
in  Wyoming,  to  shoot  elk  and  "  big-horn  of  the 
Rockies  ;  "  after  which,  by  the  branch  road  we 
went  north  to  Livingston,  and  took  the  trunk- 
line  of  the  Northern  Pacific  to  St.  Paul,  and 
thence  to  New  York  by  way  of  Chicago. 

We  were  abs:.it  four  months;  and  by  rail, 
steamer,  stage-w-agons,  and  on  horseback  to- 
gether, we  travelled  more  than  twelve  thousand 
five  hundred  miles. 

I  kept  full  notes  of  each  day ;  and  from  them 
I  make  up  this  book,  in  which  I  hope  to  give 
some  information  useful  to  those  who  may  wish 
to  visit  the  Pacific  Coast,  or  to  learn  about  it. 
Incidents  and  impressions  I  have  endeavored 
to  record  with  fidelity.  But,  travelling  with 
my  father,  I  was  invited  to  the  various  dinners 
and  entertainments  given  to  him,  where  we  met 


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4  FROM  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASKA. 

many  intelligent  and  some  eminent  men.  I 
listened  attentively  to  their  varied  conversa- 
tions and  discussions ;  and  I  dare  say  that  the 
sentiments  and  opinions  herein  expressed  are 
not  original,  but  rather  the  filterings  through 
my  memory  of  what  older  and  wiser  men  have 
said.  We  met  while  crossing  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, at  Salt  Lake,  and  everywhere  in  California 
and  Oregon,  numbers  of  interesting  men  and 
attractive  women,  to  whom  we  are  largely  in- 
debted for  the  pleasure  of  a  journey  which 
would  otherwise  have  been  often  weary  and 
monotonous. 

'^or  references  to  the  treaties,  laws,  and  rail- 
road grants,  herein  mentioned,  I  am  indebted 
to  the  Hon.  Edwards  Pierrepont. 

In  going  from  New  York  to  San  Francisco 
by  the  Pennsylvania  Central,  the  Chicago,  Bur- 
lington and  Quincy,  and  the  Unic^  and  Cen- 
tral Pacific  roads,  the  distance  is  3,281  miles. 
The  difference  in  time  between  the  two  cities  is 
three  hours  and  fourteen  minutes. 


rl 


W  il 


FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  OMAHA  AND  SALT  LAKE.      5 


^    'i 


CHAPTER   III. 

FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  OMAHA,  AND  FROM  OMAHA 
TO  SALT  LAKE. 

Leaving  New  York  by  the  Pennsylvania 
limited  express  train,  we  reached  Chicago  in 
twenty-five  hours  and  forty  minutes. 

The  key  of  my  bedroom  at  the  Palmer  House 
had  a  piece  of  lead  six  inches  in  length  arranged 
at  right  angles,  and  so  cleverly  fastened  that  it 
was  impossible  to  secrete  it.  Inserting  part  of 
it  in  my  pocket,  I  entered  the  billiard-roorn, 
where  it  was  mistaken  for  a  six-shooter  osten- 
tatiously protruding ;  and,  becoming  an  object 
of  apparent  suspicion,  I  quickly  left  it  at  the 
office. 

Chicago  is  a  remarkable  place,  about  which  I 
shall  have  something  to  say  hereafter. 

Mr.  Wallace,  the  general  agent  of  the  Chi- 
cago, Burlington,  and  Quincy  Railroad,  took  us 
over  their  very  large  and  solid  building,  in 
which  all  the  chief  offices  of  this  great  road 
are  combined.  The  building  is  remarkably 
well  constructed.  We  were  indebted  to  Mr. 
Wallace  for  many  courtesies. 


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6  FJ?OM  FIFTH  A  VENUE   TO  ALASKA. 

We  took  that  road  at  two  o'clock  p.m.,  the 
next  day,  and  arrived  at  Burlington  late  in  the 
evening.  Crossing  the  Mississippi,  which  di- 
vides Illinois  from  Iowa,  we  reached  Council 
Bluffs  the  next  morning.  We  found  the  place 
greatly  damaged  by  a  flood  which  had  swept 
away  bridges  and  destroyed  several  lives. 

The  train  was  admirable  in  equipment,  with 
the  best  of  sleeping  and  dining-room  cars  ;  and 
the  road  was  in  perfect  condition. 

Council  Bluffs  is  on  the  east  bank  of  the 
Missouri  River,  which  divides  Iowa  from  Ne- 
braska. The  Union  Pacific  road  commences 
on  the  east  bank,  Omaha  being  on  the  west. 
Here  are  excellent  arrangements  for  the  trans- 
fer and  checking  of  baggage.  No  guns  were 
allowed  in  the  cars,  but  arrangements  were 
made  to  carry  them  safely  in  the  baggage- 
room. 

The  bridge  at  Omaha,  across  the  Missouri 
River,  is  2,750  feet  long,  built  on  twenty- two 
hollow  iron  columns,  eight  and  a  half  feet  in 
diameter,  sunk  to  the  bed-rock  of  the  river. 

We  found  on  the  Union  and  Central  Pacific 
roads,  through  the  entire  length,  the  most  care- 
ful and  courteous  attention  from  every  officer 
and  every  employe  of  the  roads ;  and  a  surly 
answer,  or  coarse  conduct,  we  never  once  ex- 
perienced.     The    meals    at   the    roadside  inns 


1 


FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  OMAHA  AND  SALT  LAKE.      / 

were  not  good ;  but  any  lack  of  politeness,  or 
willingness  to  impart  information  or  give  assist- 
ance, we  never  met. 

At  Omaha,  a  town  of  more  than  forty-five 
thousand  inhabitants,  we  checked  our  baggage 
for  Salt  Lake  City,  and  started  by  the  Union 
Pacific  road  at  nine  o'clock  on  the  3d  of  June. 

On  the  train   I   met  an  Englishman  of  the 

Seventh  Fusileers,  a  Mr.  S ,  who  lived  near 

Oxford  ;  and  we,  in  company  with  several  New- 
Yorkers  who  joined  in  the  chorus,  revived 
memories  of  the  "  'Varsity,"  by  singing  portions 
of  "  John  Peel,"  "  Drink,  puppy,  drink,"  and 
other  melodious  refrains,  until  the  other  passen- 
gers thought  we  were  a  small  detachment  of 

the  Salvation  Army.     S ,  with  H and 

I of  New  York,  were   all  going  to  leave 

the  train  at  Cheyenne,  to  go  into  that  business 
which  has  enticed  so  many  plucky  fellows  from 
both  England  and  the  Eastern  States  ;  namely, 
to  begin  a  rough  life  of  boisterous  good  health 
in  the  bracing  air  of  the  great  grazing  plains  of 
Wyoming.  The  hardy  life  one  follows  there 
has  its  man;'  drawbacks,  arising  from  the  lack 
of  cultivated  society,  and  from  having  to 
undergo  the  hardships  of  cold  nights,  biting 
blizzards,  furious  hurricanes,  and  occasional  de- 
struction of  property.  As  a  counterbalance 
against  these,  we  lK"'ve  health  a  id  vigor  restored 


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I 


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8 


FROM  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


to  many  a  jaded  idler  of  society ;  and  he  who- 
was  once  a  gay  member  of  the  "  Knicker- 
bocker," "  Union,"  "  White's,"  or  "  Boodle's,"  a 
frequenter  of  the  "  Burlington,"  a  haunter  of  the 
"  Aquarium,"  or  a  dissolute  dashing  guardsman 
(Ouida's  model  Englishman),  the  darling  of 
society,  and  the  best  of  riders,  —  he  it  is  who, 
through  lack  of  means,  or  dearth  of  excitement, 
chooses  the  wild  life  of  the  cattle-driver,  with 
no  music  but  the  roar  of  the  wind  or  the  dash 
of  cataracts,  and  no  partner  in  the  dance  but 
his  Indian  pony. 

The  cowboy  of  whom  I  have  heard  and  read 
so  much  is  not  always  the  dare-devil  depicted 
in  "  The  Police  News ; "  for  during  my  whole 
journey  from  Omaha,  during  which  time  I  saw 
hundreds  of  cowboys  and  cow  "  punchers,"  I 
never  saw  a  revolver  fired,  or  any  evidence  of 
that  recklessness  which  is  so  proverbial.  In 
isolated  mining  camps,  revolvers  are  recklessly 
carried ;  but  one  might  start  from  New  York, 
and  make  the  whole  Western  trip  by  the  reg- 
ular roads,  and  seldom  see  a  single  exposed 
weapon.  There  were  occasions,  on  our  far- 
ther journey,  when  it  was  prudent  to  be  well 
armed. 

Four  hundred  and  fourteen  miles  from  Oma- 
ha, we  reached  Sidney.  From  Sidney,  stage- 
coaches  start  daily  for  Deadwood,  267  miles. 


^(|KSl*U»J W,'-«l^!WW7-"'^ !  H"T^"  '■ "  "■  FWV. 


■■•■  ;j»  r^     "■■'v-.r*T/'» 


FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  OMAHA  AND  SALT  LAKE. 


north,  where  are  the  celebrated  gold-mines  in 
the  Black  Hills  of  Dakota. 

On  the  4th,  at  half-past  three  p.m.,  we  reached 
Sherman,  the  highest  elevation  on  the  road,  — 
8,235  feet.  So  gradual  is  the  ascent  from 
Omaha,  that  you  would  hardly  suspect  that  you 
were  going  up  hill ;  and  the  region  over  which 
you  pass  looks  not  at  all  like  "  crossing  the 
Rocky  Mountains."  The  highest  grade  be- 
tween Cheyenne  i.nd  Sherman  is  eighty-eight 
feet  per  mile.  The  v/hole  distance  is  bare  of 
trees,  has  no  very  steep  appearance,  and  the 
land  is  only  valuable  for  grazing.  The  distance 
from  Omaha  to  Sherman  is  549  miles,  and  from 
Sherman  to  San  Francisco  1,318  miles. 

Sherman  is  a  place  of  wild  and  lonely  desola- 
tion, in  the  Territory  of  Wyoming.  It  is  named 
after  the  distinguished  general.  On  a  high 
point  south  of  the  station,  a  monument  is  ris- 
ing to  honor  the  memory  of  Oakes  Ames,  one 
of  the  most  enterprising  men  whom  this  coun- 
try has  produced.  He  was  cruelly  maligned, 
and  hastened  to  his  grave  by  the  calumnies 
with  which  he  was  pursued  in  connection  wit^ 
the  completion  of  a  colossal  highway  to  the 
Pacific,  which  has  done  more  to  perpetuate 
the  union  of  our  vast  empire  than  the  greatest 
battle  which  was  fought. 

Seventy   miles    south-west   of    Sherman    is 


h^t^j 


r 


10 


FROM  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


:r 


HJ 


'M^ 


Long's  Peak,  and  165  miles  to  the  south  is 
Pike's  Peak,  both  visible. 

Laramie  City  is  573  miles  from  Omaha,  the 
county-seat  of  Albany  County,  Wyoming.  It 
contains  about  four  thousand  inhabitants ;  has 
a  rolling-mill,  but  stock-raising  is  the  great 
industry.  The  "  Laramie  Plains "  comprise  a. 
belt,  twenty-five  by  sixty  miles,  of  the  finest 
grazing-lands.  Countless  buffalo  once  roamed 
these  plains,  and  had  as  good  title  to  the  lands 
as:  had  the  Indians  who  roamed  in  like  manner. 
It  is  said  that  over  three  thousand  horses  and 
mules,  ninety  thousand  head  of  cattle,  and  as 
many  sheep,  can  now  be  found  within  forty 
miles  of  Laramie.     The  plains  are  well  watered. 

Carbon  is  657  miles  from  Omaha,  and  here 
was  the  first  happy  discovery  of  coal  on  the 
road.  Since  then,  far  better  mines  have  been 
found  farther  west,  —  at  Rock  Springs,  and  at 
Evanston. 

RawUns  is  709  miles  from  Omaha.  Before 
reaching  Rawlins  we  come  to  the  sage-brush 
and  alkaline  beds :  they  extend  west  for  more 
than  a  hundred  and  twenty  miles.  The  sage- 
brush is  a  bush  about  four  feet  high ;  its  leaf 
and  form  are  like  the  garden  sage  (but  the  bush 
is  much  larger),  and  it  tastes  like  wormwood  : 
it  grows  on  the  alkaline  beds,  where  nothing 
else  will  grow.     The  alkaline  dust  through  this 


FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  OMAHA  AND  SALT  LAKE.      I  I 


region  is  excessive,  filling  every  car,  irritating 
to  the  eyes,  throat,  and  lips ;  and  the  water  of 
the  region  is  very  unhealthy  for  man  or  beast. 

At  Point  of  Rocks,  805  miles  from  Omaha, 
is  an  artesian  well,  1,015  deep,  from  which 
issues  a  stream  of  pure  water ;  and  here  are 
extensive  coal-mines.  On  a  high  bluff,  above 
the  coal,  is  a  vein  of  oyster-shells  six  inches 
thick.  Professor  Hayden,  in  his  Geological 
Report,  says,  "  Preserved  in  the  rocks,  the 
greatest  abundance  of  deciduous  leaves  of  the 
poplar,  oak,  elm,  and  maple,  are  found.  .  .  . 
Among  the  plants  is  a  specimen  of  fan-palm, 
which,  at  the  time  it  grew  here,  displayed  a 
leaf  of  enormous  dimensions,  sometimes  hav- 
ing a  spread  of  ten  oi  twelve  feet." 

When  President  Arthur  came  to  the  Yellow- 
stone Park,  he  had  with  him  sea-shells  which 
he  took  from  the  Rocky  Mountain  heights. 

At  Rock  Springs,  eight  hundred  and  thirty 
miles  from  Omaha,  is  another  artesian  well, 
1,145  f'S^t  deep  :  the  water  flows  in  great  quan- 
tities, twenty-six  feet  above  the  surface.  Rich 
coal-mines  are  near.  From  this  point  to  Green 
River,  a  distance  of  fifteen  miles,  the  road  runs 
through  a  deep  mountain  gorge  where  the 
scenery  is  quite  impressive. 

Green  River  is  845  miles  from  Omaha.  The 
bluffs  near  this  station  are  of  peculiar  forma- 


13 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


tion :  they  are  perpendicular,  rising  several 
hundred  feet,  composed  of  layers  of  sediment- 
ary rocks,  sandstone,  white  sand,  pebbles,  clay, 
and  lime,  with  layers  of  bowlders  also,  each 
layer  of  a  different  shade  of  color.  The  hills 
around  are  capped  with  a  yellowish  sandstone 
in  peculiar  castellated  forms.  This  scenery  has 
a  just  celebrity. 

At  Granger,  876  miles  from  Omaha,  the 
Oregon  Short  Line,  a  branch  of  th(  Union 
Pacific,  begins,  and  runs  north-west  through 
Oregon  to  Baker  City,  and,  in  connection  with 
the  Oregon  Railway  and  Navigation  Company, 
to  the  Columbia  River. 

At  Hilliard,  942  miles  from  Omaha,  is  a 
flume  crossing  the  track  twenty  feet  above  it, 
in  which  large  quantities  of  lumber  are  floated 
from  the  Uintah  Mountains,  between  twenty 
and  thirty  miles  to  the  south.  Here  are 
located  the  Cameron  bee-hive  kilns,  for  burn- 
mg  charcoal. 

Castle  Rocks  are  about  975  miles  west  of 
Omaha,  and  form  a  long  line  of  sandstone 
bluffs,  on  the  right  bank  of  Echo  Canon,  and 
vary  in  height  from  five  hundred  to  fifteen  hun- 
dred feet.  In  the  distance  they  look  like  vast 
castles.  Nine  miles  west  of  Echo  City  we 
come  to  the  thousand-mile  tree,  a  thousand 
miles  from  Omaha :  it  is  a  branching  pine,  and 


fM 


several 
liment- 
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o,  each 
le  hills 
idstone 
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4 


/'■A'OA/  A'EfV  YORK  TO  OMAHA  AND  SALT  LAKE.       1 3 

on  its  trunk  is  the  notice.  We  have  passed 
through  the  Wasatch  Mountains,  and  now  come 
to  the  valley  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake. 

At  Ogden,  1,032  miles  from  Omaha,  and  835 
from  San  Franciscij,  we  reach  the  end  of  the 
Union-Pacific  Roa:l,  and  begin  the  Central 
Pacific.  The  elevation  here  is  4,294  feet. 
Ogden  is  saiu  to  contain  six  thousand  five  hun- 
dred inhabitants,  mostly  Mormons.  Valuable 
mines  are  reported  as  near  the  town,  and  the 
waters  of  the  Ogden  River  irrigate  the  place. 
The  Wasatch  Mountains,  towering  high  above 
with  their  granite  walls,  made  the  surrounding 
scenery  imposing,  and  the  air  salubrious. 

We  came  through  from  Omaha  to  Ogden 
the  first  week  in  June,  and  were  surprised  to 
find  the  roads  for  a  thousand  miles  so  dusty, 
the  treeless  hills  so  barren,  no  green  of  any 
kind,  —  a  general  aspect  of  barrenness,  and 
but  few  crags  or  mountain  peaks  to  break  the 
dreary  monotony.  Miles  of  snow-fences  and 
vast  snow-sheds  were  frequent ;  but  we  learned 
that  live  stock  thrive  and  fatten  upon  the  dried 
grasses,  which  remain  nutritious,  as  in  Califor- 
nia, till  the  autumn  rains  destroy  the  nutriment, 
when  new  grasses  spring  up,  and  make  the  hills 
green  again  before  November.  It  is  certain 
that  the  yearly  number  of  sheep,  mules,  cattle, 
and  horses,  which  are  reared  along  this  road,  is 


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m 


14 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE   TO  ALASKA. 


immense.  During  the  summer  months  there 
is  no  rain  in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  California, 
or  the  Yellowstone  Park. 

It  matters  little  what  the  Government  ad- 
vanced to  build  the  Central  and  Pacific  roads. 
This  great  highway  is  of  priceless  value  to  the 
nation :  had  it  cost  the  Federal  treasury  ten 
times  more  than  it  did,  it  were  money  well  in- 
vested. The  Government  did  not  advance  cash, 
but  loaned  its  credit  in  the  form  of  six-per-cent 
bonds,  at  thirty  years,  with  interest  half  yearly. 
On  the  1st  of  July,  1862,  in  the  heat  of  the 
war,  President  Lincoln  signed  a  bill  which  was 
the  charter  of  the  road.  The  Act  was  entitled  : 
"  An  Act  to  aid  in  the  construction  of  a  railroad 
and  telegraph  line  from  the  Missouri  River  to 
the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  to  secure  to  the  Govern- 
ment the  use  of  the  same  for  postal,  military, 
and  other  purposes."  The  grant  of  land  was 
every  alternate  section  for  twenty  miles  on  each 
side  of  the  road ;  that  is,  twenty  sections  for 
each  mile,  or  twelve  thousand  eight  hundred 
acres  a  mile,  a  section  being  six  hundred  and 
forty  acres.  In  addition  to  the  land  grant,  the 
Government,  in  aid  of  the  work,  issued  its 
bonds  to  the  Union  Pacific,  in  all  ^27,226,512  ; 
to  the  Central  Pacific,  in  all  ;^2 5, 885, 120.  Such 
is  the  pecuniary  benefit  of  the  road,  that,  if  no 
part  of  the  government  subsidy  is  ever  repaid, 


s  there 
ifornia, 

ent  ad- 

c  roads. 

to  the 

ury  ten 

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Der-cent 

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;  of  the 

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n titled : 

railroad 

River  to 

Govern- 

military, 

and  was 

on  each 

tions  for 

hundred 

Ired  and 

rant,  the 

sued    its 

226,512  ; 

D.     Such 

lat,  if  no 

ir  repaid, 


FROM  NE  W  YORK  TO  OMAHA  AND  SAL  T  LAKE.      1 5 

the  Government  will  have  saved  many  millions 
by  its  loan  of  bonds. 

The  building  of  the  Pacific  Road  commenced 
Nov.  5,  1865,  on  the  Missouri  River  near 
Omaha.  By  the  Act  of  1862,  the  time  of  com- 
pletion was  limited  to  July  i,  1876.  It  was  fin- 
ished in  three  years  six  months  and  ten  days. 
On  the  loth  of  May,  1869,  the  Pacific  met  the 
Central  at  Promontory  Point,  Utah  Territory. 

At  Ogden  we  are  near  the  Great  Salt  Lake, 
which  is  about  a  hundred  miles  long  by  forty- 
five  miles  wide.  Its  general  direction  is  from 
north-west  to  south-east ;  and,  as  you.  will  see 
by  the  map,  Ogden  is  about  midway  of  the  lake, 
a  short  distance  to  the  east.  The  lake  has  no 
outlet,  though  many  rivers  empty  into  it,  —  the 
rivers  Jordan,  Weber,  and  others.  Of  late  the 
waters  have  risen  slowly,  and  they  are  now 
twelve  feet  higher  than  they  were  twenty  years 
ago.  The  water  is  so  buoyant  that  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  swim  in  it,  and  verv  difficult  for  a  steamer 
to  navigate  it. 

The  water  is  exceedingly  salt,  and  very  acrid ; 
and  the  white  salt  along  the  shores  will  take 
the  skin  from  the  tongue  which  tastes  it  too 
freely.  While  bathing  with  others  in  the  lake, 
I  carelessly  swallowed  a  little  of  the  water,  and 
my  throat  closed,  and  I  was  nearly  suffocated : 
a  man  who  saw  the  trouble    hastened   to    my 


i6 


FROM  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


[irii 


I'Cb..;- , 


relief  with  a  flask  of  brandy,  without  which  I 
never  could  have  reached  the  shore.  Several 
bathers  have  been  made  seriously  ill  by  inad- 
vertently allowing  a  drop  from  a  wave  to  enter 
the  throat ;  and  some  have  died  from  a  swallow 
of  it.  No  living  thing  is  found  anywhere  in 
the  lake's  vast  waters.  No  ice  ever  forms  upon 
it.  I  better  understand  the  passage  in  the 
Bible  where  the  swine  "  ran  violently  down 
a  steep  place,  and  were  choked!' 

We  were  told  that  a  German  Jew  went  to 
bathe  in  this  lake,  and  v^as  never  seen  again. 
His  clothes  were  found  in  the  bathing-house, 
but  all  search  for  his  body  proved  fruitless.  It 
has  since  attracted  notice,  that  his  life  was  in- 
sured for  thirty  thousand  dollars,  and  that  his 
cheerful  wife,  after  arranging  his  affairs,  soon 
left  the  city  with  the  insurance-money.  The 
impression  prevails,  that  he  had  other  clothing, 
and  played  the  game  for  the  purpose  of  secur- 
ing the  money ;  since  the  buoyancy  of  the 
waters  would  surely  have  disclosed  the  dead 
body  if  drowned  in  the  lake. 


THE  MORMON  CITY  AND    THE  MORMONS.      1/ 


rhich  I 

Jeveral 
inad- 
enter 
)Wallow 
lere  in 
upon 
in  the 
down 

i^ent  to 
again, 
^-house, 
ess.  It 
was  in- 
that  his 
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/.  The 
lothing, 
f  secur- 
of  the 
e   dead 


CHAPTER   IV. 

•THE  MORMON  CITY  AND  THE  MORMONS. 

Salt  Lake  City  is  near  the  south  end  of  the 
lake,  in  latitude  40*"  47'  north,  and  is  thirty- 
eight  miles  south  of  Ogden.  It  lies  at  the 
foot-hills  of  the  Wasatch  Mountains,  at  the 
northerly  end  of  a  level  plain  which  is  about 
forty  miles  long  and  fifteen  wide,  and  is  called 
the  Valley  of  the  Jordan.  The  Jordan  River 
runs  northerly  from  Utah  Lake,  nearly  forty 
miles  south  of  the  city,  to  the  west  of  the  town, 
and  empties  into  Salt  Lake  twelve  miles  distant. 
These  snow-topped  mountains,  from  twelve  to 
thirteen  thousand  feet  high,  form  nearly  a  semi- 
circle on  the  east  of  the  plain,  and  nightly  cool 
the  city  after  the  cloudless  sun  has  heated  the 
valley.  There  are  no  summer  rains  ;  but  copi- 
ous mountain  streams  run  through  the  streets 
on  each  side,  and  the  lands  around  are  green 
and  productive  from  easy  irrigation.  On  the 
south-west  the  Oquirr  range  of  mountains  seem 
to  bound  the  plain,  and  far  beyond  is  a  moun- 


f» 


ri'l : 


l/^' 


U%^f 


M'^ 


i8 


/'i?C>y1/  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


tain  where  abundant  rock-salt  is  found  in  a  re- 
markably pure  state. 

On  June  8  Modjeska  arrived  at  the  Walker 
House,  and  created  some  little  excitement.  In 
the  evening  we  went  to  hear  her  play  in  "  As 
You  Like  It,"  in  company  with  Gov.  and  Mrs. 
Murray. 

The  Mormons  are  fond  of  giving  Bible  names 
to  their  children  ;  one  child  of  the  President 
being  called  Ezra,  another  Moses. 

The  Mormons  gave  us  a  history  of  their  trials 
and  persecutions,  of  their  wanderings  from  Mis- 
souri and  Illinois ;  and  how,  when  they  were  in 
the  latter  State,  they  volunteered  five  hundred 
strong  to  the  Mexican  War. 

Mr.  Cannon  drove  us  to  the  warm  Sulphur 
Springs,  ninety-six  degrees,  especially  good  for 
cutaneous  diseases.  Bathing  in  this  spring  is 
excessively  weakening.  We  observed  one  man 
with  a  bald  head  taking  his  tub,  and  as  he  had 
an  t.^^  in  his  hand  we  watched  him  with  some 
curiosity.  After  breaking  the  ^^g,  and  dividing 
the  contents  in  each  half-shell  like  a  sherry- 
cobbler  slinger,  he  first  rubbed  his  hairless  top 
with  the  white,  and  then  with  the  yolk,  expect- 
ing the  hair  to  rise  like  Jack's  beanstalk, — 
some  barber  having  probably  sold  him  the 
receipt.  While  we  remained,  no  apparent 
transformation  took  place  on   his   bald   head ; 


THE  MORMON  CITY  AND    THE  MORMONS.      1 9 


a  re- 

^alker 
Int.     In 
|in  "As 
id  Mrs. 


names 
'esident 

iir  trials 
)m  Mis- 
were  in 
lundred 

Sulphur 
;ood  for 
pring  is 
)ne  man 

he  had 
:h  some 
dividing 

sherry- 
less  top 
expect- 
stalk, — 
im  the 
pparent 
head ; 


and  since  the  flies  began  to  be  attracted  by  the 
yolk  I  felt  like  giving  him  the  well-known  rec- 
ommendation,—  that  of  painting  a  cobweb  on 
his  cranium  while  the  fly  months  lasted.  After 
going  to  the  spot  where  this  sickly  warm  mix- 
ture rises,  we  drove  on  to  the  hot  springs, 
where  the  water  is  nearly  boiling,  an  ^<g^  being 
easily  cooked  in  a  few  minutes. 

Fort  Douglass,  a  military  post,  is  situated  on 
the  east  side  of  the  Jordan,  four  miles  from  the 
river  and  three  miles  east  of  the  city.  It  is 
on  a  high  base  of  the  mountains  sloping  west. 
The  officers'  houses  are  of  uniform  appearance, 
well  built  in  a  semic'rcle,  with  a  green  lawn 
in  front,  cheerful  with  running  water  cold  and 
abundant,  and  the  whole  combination  is  truly 
charming.  The  post  is  now  commanded  by 
the  gallant  Gen.  McCook.  Not  far  away  is  the 
Emma  Mine,  and  many  other  mines  which  are 
worked. 

We  were  told  by  Gen.  McCook  that  he  had 
seen  clams  at  Puget  Sound  weighing  fifteen 
pounds,  tender,  of  delicate  flavor,  and  excellent 
for  food.  We  shall  speak  of  these  mammoth 
clams  farther  on. 

We  were  assured  that  Utah  Territory  is  very 
rich  in  gold,  silver,  coal,  iron,  copper,  zinc,  cin- 
nabar, and  every  other  metal  found  in  the  West; 
and  it  is  the  opinion,  that,  had  not   Brighani 


HI 

1 

' 

'^ 

■ 

■     1 
'     f 

H 

,■ 
1 

.1^ 


' 


tli 


20 


FA'OM  FIFTH  A  VENUE   TO  ALASKA. 


Young  warned  his  Mormon  followers  against 
"  seeking  for  corrupting  gold,"  and  told  them  to 
confine  themselves  to  "multiplying,  and  replen- 
ishing the  earth,"  Utah  would  have  developed 
mineral  wealth  equal  to  that  of  California. 
The  Mormons  are  not  miners ;  but  there  are 
many  smelting-furnaces  in  and  around  Salt 
Lake  City,  and  a  large  number  of  manufactur- 
ing establishments. 

The  population  of  Salt  Lake  City  is  now 
twenty-seven  thousand.  It  seems  to  be  a 
well-ordered  and  prosperous  town,  and  is  illu- 
minated with  electric  lights.  The  streets  are 
wide,  bordered  with  trees,  and  laid  out  at  right 
angles.  The  cold  streams  from  the  snow  moun- 
tains, which  wash  the  streets  on  either  side  in 
rapid  flow,  add  largely  to  the  health,  comfort, 
and  cheerfulness  of  the  place. 

The  Mormon  Tabernacle  is  a  strange-looking 
building  of  immense  proportions.  It  is  an 
ellipse ;  the  inner  axes  are  one  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  by  two  hundred  and  fifty ;  the  roof  is 
a  single  arch  supported  by  forty-six  large  col- 
umns of  cut  stone.  It  will  hold  fourteen 
thousand  people.  Its  acoustic  properties  are 
wonderful :  the  dropping  of  a  pin  into  a  hat 
can  easily  be  heard  from  one  end  to  the  other. 
We  were  informed  that  the  preachers  were  called 
upon  just  as  the  Divine   influence  prompted, 


1 1'. 


s  against 
d  them  to 
id  replen- 
leveloped 
California, 
there  are 
und  Salt 
mufactur- 

y  is  now 
to  be  a 
id  is  illu- 
treets  are 
t  at  right 
ow  moun- 
ir  side  in 
,  comfort, 

[e-looking 
It  is  an 
dred  and 
le  roof  is 
large  col- 
fourteen 
erties  are 
ito  a  hat 
:he  other, 
'ere  called 
Drompted, 


T//E  MORMON  CITY  AND    THE   MORMONS.      21 

being  in  this  respect  somewhat  like  the  Plym- 
outh Brotherhood  in  England. 

The  Temple  is  a  Gothic  structure,  built  of 
granite,  not  yet  complete.  Its  base  is  one  hun- 
dred and  sixteen  by  one  hundred  and  ninety 
feet.  It  will  be  very  high,  with  five  pointed 
towers.  The  base  walls  are  sixteen  feet  thick, 
built  with  inverted  arches  of  granite  blocks. 
It  seems  built  for  eternity  —  rather  inconsistent 
for  Latter-Day  Saints  who  believe  in  an  early 
"  second  coming." 

From  the  top  of  the  main  wall  we  obtained 
a  grand  view  of  the  magnificent  valley,  which 
far  exceeds  in  size  any  thing  I  have  seen  in  Italy, 
Switzerland,  France,  or  Germany.  We  were  in 
a  basin  which  from  the  shell-deposits  must  have 
once  been  a  huge  lake  twenty  miles  by  forty. 
All  around  us,  even  now  the  sixth  day  of  June, 
vast  mountains  rose  to  a  heigiit  of  thirteen 
thousand  feet  in  snowy  grandeur ;  and  at  a  dis- 
tance of  twenty  miles  we  could  see  the  Great 
Salt  Lake,  rich  fertility  greeting  us  on  all  sides. 
With  such  natural  advantages,  no  wonder  that 
Brigham  Young,  even  if  this  had  not  been 
seen  by  him  through  divine  revelation  in  a 
dream,  could  hardly  have  refrained  from  say- 
ing, "  Here  we  will  pitch  our  camp,  and  build 
our  temple." 

In  this  Temple  we  were  shown  the  places  of 


/k^' 


MfC 


kU. 


t^i 


!  I 


^1^ 


'/ 


P 


m 


ill!! 


III  il 


J2 


/i?0^  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASKA, 


the  Endowment  House,  the  baptismal  font 
(their  baptism  is  by  immersion),  and  the  "  Holy 
of  holies ; "  where  we  were  told  that  angels 
were  expected  to  be  met,  and  where  probably 
Christ  the  Saviour  would  be  seen  (this  was 
said  with  the  utmost  seriousness  and  apparent 
belief). 

While  my  father  was  Attorney- General  in  the 
Cabinet  of  Gen.  Grant,  he  became  acquainted 
with  Mr.  George  Q.  Cannon,  then  the  delegate 
to  Congress  from  Utah.  Mr.  Cannon  was  now 
very  polite  to  us,  and  introduced  us  to  the 
president  and  council  of  the  church. 

The  next  day  we  dined  at  the  Amelia  Palace 
(as  it  is  Cculed),  the  spacious  residence  of  the 
president  of  the  hierarchy,  where  we  met  Mr. 
Kane  the  present  delegate  to  Congress,  Mr. 
Cannon,  and  others  of  the  church,  besides  some 
of  the  daughters  of  Mr.  John  Taylor  the  presi- 
dent. Mr.  Taylor  is  a  tall,  venerable  old  gen- 
tleman, with  white  hair,  courteous  manners,  and 
of  quiet  and  cultivated  demeanor:  he  was 
dressed  in  black,  with  a  white  cravat,  and 
seemed  altogether  like  a  Presbyterian  clergy- 
man of  the  old  school,  with  a  rich  congregation, 
a  large  salary,  and  sincere  faith.  The  dinner 
was  excellent,  served  in  good  style,  and  the 
currant-wine  was  delicious.  The  conversation 
was  upon  general  subjects,  such  as  would  have 


4, 


THE  MORMON  CITY  AND    THE  MORMONS.      23 


lal  font 
le  "  Holy 
t  angels 
probably 
this  was 
apparent 

ral  in  the 
quainted 
delegate 
was  now 
s   to  the 

ia  Palace 
ce  of  the 

met  Mr. 
ress,  Mr. 
ides  some 
he  presi- 
old  gen- 
ners,  and 

he  was 
Lvat,  and 
1  clergy- 
Tegation, 
le  dinner 

and  the 
versation 
uld  have 


been  discussed  at  a  dinner  o^  intelligent  gentle- 
men in  New  York. 

Those  who  fancy  that  the  Mormon  leaders 
lack  shrewdness,  or  fixedness  of  purpose,  are 
mistaken. 

In  Utah,  the  women  all  vote  the  same  as 
men. 

Their  temples  and  religious  houses  are  built 
by  tithes,  which  the  faithful  contribute  for  the 
church.  Saturday  is  the  day  for  payment ;  and 
throughout  the  morning  wagon  after  wagon 
comes  slowly  through  the  dusty  street,  bearing 
its  little  offering.  One  poor  Scandinavian  wo- 
man is  now  passing  before  me  with  a  dozen  eggs, 
the  tenth  of  her  week's  increase ;  another  now 
fills  her  place,  tightly  holding  three  obstreper- 
ous hens ;  still  another  Mormon  lengthens  the 
line,  chiding  good-humoredly  his  two  oxen  bear- 
ing along  some  hay  and  turnips,  his  tenth  ; 
still  one  more  passes,  holding  with  one  hand 
the  rope  which  leads  a  cow,  while  her  other 
grasps  the  reins  of  her  horse. 

Under  the  Edmunds  Bill  of  last  winter,  a 
commission  was  appointed  to  take  the  registry 
of  voters  in  Utah,  and  to  exclude  all  polyga- 
mists.  Gov.  Ramsay  of  Minnesota  was  chair- 
man of  the  commission,  —  an  eminent  and 
experienced  public  man,  whom  my  father  knew 
well.     He  told  us  at  Salt  Lake,  in  early  June, 


'vti 


^tx 


n  III 


24 


/'A'C;!/  FIFTH  AVENUE   TO  ALASKA. 


that  the  commission  had  finished  its  work,  ex- 
ercising all  the  power  which  the  law  gave  them  ; 
that  he  suspected,  notwithstanding,  that  the 
Mormons  would  succeed  at  the  election  in  Au- 
gust. I'he  election  took  place  on  the  6th  of 
August,  and  every  member  of  the  legislature  is 
a  Mormon.  Under  this  faithfully  executed  com- 
mission, all,  both  men  and  women,  were  disfran- 
chised, who  had  ever  married  a  second  wife  while 
the  first  was  living,  or  who  had  ever  taken  a 
husband  who  had  another  wife.  In  this  way,  all 
polygamists  were  excluded  from  the  polls,  to  the 
number  of  twelve  thousand.  The  Mormons  of 
Utah  are  a  hundred  and  thirty  thousand. 

No  doubt  there  is  some  difficulty  in  dealing 
with  the  Mormon  question.  Mormon  obedience 
to  Church  authority  is  absolute :  the  Church  is 
the  tribunal  to  which  all  their  disputes  are  sub- 
mitted. Their  readiness  to  make  any  sacrifice, 
or  suffer  any  privations,  in  support  of  their  creed, 
has  b(  en  attested.  Their  prosperity  under  trials 
has  largely  increased ;  and  the  idea  that  if  let 
alone  they  will  disband,  and  become  dispersed, 
belongs  only  to  those  who  are  ignorant  of  the 
facts,  of  past  history,  and  of  human  nature. 
Their  priesthood  has  concentrated  power,  and 
through  their  tithing-system  commands  great 
wealth.  Outside  of  any  fanaticism,  this  grati- 
fies their  able  leaders,  and  most  of  their  believ- 


t 


THE  MORMON  CITY  AND    THE   MORMONS.      2$ 

ing  followers  are  far  better  off  than  ever  be- 
fore :  they  are  sure  of  comfortable  support  and 
a  decent  burial. 

We  met  several  Christian  gentlemen  of  large 
intelligence,  who  were  inclined  to  suspect  that 
the  growth  of  Mormonism  was  partly  due  to  the 
evils  which  modern  luxury  and  extravagance 
have  brought  upon  us,  in  consequence  of  which 
young  men  cannot  support  a  family,  and  young 
women  are  deprived  of  their  natural  exercise 
of  the  domestic  affections.  They  say  that  it  is 
'-^aite  certain,  that,  if  the  wealth  which  is  earned 
by  the  nation  were  more  evenly  distributed, 
more  women  could  get  married ;  and  that  no 
young  woman  who  could  get  a  single  husband 
would  ever  marry  a  man  who  had  a  plurality  of 
wives ;  and  that  the  Mormon  Church  is  largely 
increased  by  those  who  seek  refuge  from  pov- 
erty and  degradation,  against  which  the  Gentile 
Church,  with  all  its  abounding  luxury  and  riches, 
does  not  protect  them. 

Converts  are  coming  in  from  the  poorer 
class  of  the  South.  Scandinavia,  Germany, 
England,  Wales,  and  even  Scodand  (not  Ire- 
land), are  sending  recruits  in  abundance.  The 
Church  sends  missionaries  far  and  wide  to  pro- 
mulgate its  gospel,  and  promises  a  home  for- 
ever, free  from  want,  to  all  who  will  lead  an 
industrious  and  frugal   life.     They  do  not  call 


■A'.;  •■, 


l^ 


W7 


m 


26 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


themselves  "  Mormons,"  but  "  Latter  -  Day 
Saints." 

Contrary  to  our  expectations,  we  found  them 
the  most  severely  orthodox  of  any  sect  we  have 
met.  They  believe  in  the  plenary  inspiration 
of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  and  receive 
every  word  of  these  sacred  books  in  absolute 
faith,  and  according  to  their  literal  reading, 
obscured  by  no  scientific  doubts  or  develop- 
ment theories.  They  cite  profusely  from  the 
Bible  in  support  of  their  every  doctrine ;  and 
from  the  practices  of  Abraham,  to  the  latest  of 
the  wice  men  of  old  whom  we  are  taught  to 
revere,  they  defend  their  views  about  polygamy  : 
they  claim  that  the  practice  was  enjoined  by 
the  God  of  Abraham,  and  was  followed  by  all  the 
frjthful  of  Abraham's  seed ;  that  it  tends  to 
pr;rity  and  good  order,  and  will  prevent  de- 
bauchery, celibacy,  and  the  poverty  and  degra- 
dation of  women.  They  do  not  claim  that  the 
teachings  of  the  "  Book  of  Mormon,"  in  the 
smallest  measure,  contravene  the  teachings 
of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments ;  but  that  it 
is  merely  an  additional  revelation,  through  a 
prophet  of  the  Lord,  coming  down  so  late  as 
four  hundred  and  twenty  years  after  the  birth 
of  Christ. 

Mr.  Cannon  presented  us  with  several  vol- 
umes, which   give   a   history   of  the   Mormon 


/. 


THE  MORMON  CITY  AND    THE  MORMONS.      2/ 


;er  -  Day 

nd  them 
we  have 
spiration 
I  receive 
absolute 
reading, 
develop- 
Vom   the 
ine ;  and 
latest  of 
aught  to 
Dlygamy : 
oined  by 
by  all  the 
tends   to 
;vent  de- 
id  degra- 
that  the 
,"  in  the 
teachings 
at  that  it 
irough   a 
o  late  as 
the  birth 

/eral  vol- 
Mormon 


Church,  and  a  statement  of  their  doctrines  ;  from 
these  I  give  the  following  summary :  — 

The  "  Book  of  Mormon  "  which  was  presented 
is  an  English  edition  of  six  hundred  and  twenty- 
three  handsomely  printed  pages.     It  is  divided 
into  chapters  and  verses,  and  is  written  much 
after  the  style  of  the  Old  Testament.     It  pro- 
fesses to  be  an  inspired  historic  book,  and  claims 
to  give  the  origin  and  history  of  the  North- 
American  Indians.      It  teaches,  that,  when  the 
Lord  confounded  the  languages  at  the  Tower 
of  Babel,  he  led  forth  a  colony  from  thence  to  the 
Western  Continent,  which  is  now  called  Amer- 
ica ;  that  this  colony,  after  crossing  the  ocean  in 
eight  vessels,  and  landing  in  that  country,  be 
came  in  process  of  time  a  great  nation.   They  in- 
habited America  for  some  fifteen  hundred  years 
they  were  at  length  destroyed  for  their  wicked 
ness.     A  prophet  by  the  name  of  Ether  wrot 
their  history,  and  an  account  of  their  destruc 
tlon.    Ether  lived  to  witness  their  entire  destruc 
tion,  and  deposited  his  record  where  it  was  after 
wards  found  by  a  colony  of  Israelites  who  came 
from  Jerusalem  six  hundred  years  before  Christ, 
and  re-peopled  America.     This  last  colony  were 
descendants  of  the  tribe  of  Joseph.     They  grew 
and   multiplied,  and   finally  gave   rise   to   two 
mighty  nations.     The  people  of  one  of  these 
nations  were  called  Nephites,  one  Nephi  be- 


I^« 


'j-:^* 


ml  \ 


:../i 


^n 


I 


28 


/'V?Oy)/  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


ing  their  founder  ;  the  other  were  called  Lam- 
anites,  after  a  leader  named  Laman.  The  Lam- 
anites  became  a  dark  and  benighted  people,  of 
whom  the  American  Indians  are  still  a  remnant. 
The  Nephites  were  an  enlightened  and  civil- 
ized people  ;  they  were  a  people  highly  favored 
of  the  Lord ;  they  had  visions,  angels,  and  the 
gift  of  prophecy  among  them  from  age  to  age ; 
and  finally  they  were  blessed  with  a  personal 
appearance  of  Jesus  Christ  after  his  resurrec- 
tion, from  whose  mouth  they  received  the  doc- 
trine of  the  gospel,  and  a  knowledge  of  the 
future  down  through  all  succeeding  ages.  But 
after  all  the  blessings  and  privileges  conferred 
upon  them,  they  fell  into  great  wickedness  in 
the  third  and  fourth  centuries  of  the  Christian 
era,  and  finally  were  destroyed  by  the  hands  of 
the  Lamanites.  This  destruction  took  place 
about  four  hundred  years  after  Christ. 

Mormon  lived  in  that  age  of  the  world,  and 
was  a  Nephite  and  a  prophet  of  the  Lord.  He, 
by  the  commandment  of  the  Lord,  made  an 
abridgment  of  the  sacred  records,  which  con- 
tained the  history  of  his  forefathers,  and  the 
prophecies  and  gospel  which  had  been  revealed 
among  them ;  to  which  he  added  a  .sketch  of 
the  history  of  his  own  time,  and  the  destruc- 
tion of  his  nation.  Previous  to  his  death,  the 
abridged  records  fell  Into  the  hands  of  his  son 


i^H 


THE  MORMON  CITY  AND    THE   MORMONS.      2Q 


Moroni,  who  continued  them  down  to  A.  D. 
420^  at  which  time  he  deposited  them  care- 
fully in  the  earth,  on  a  hill  which  was  then 
called  Cumorah,  but  is  situated  in  Ontario 
County,  township  of  Manchester,  and  State  of 
New  York,  N.A.  This  he  did  in  order  to  pre- 
serve nhem  from  the  Lamanites,  who  overran 
the  country,  and  sought  to  destroy  them  and  all 
the  records  pertaining  to  the  Nephites,  This 
record  lay  concealed,  or  sealed  up,  from  A.D. 
420,  to  Sept.  22,  1827;  at  which  time  it  was 
found  by  Mr.  Joseph  Smith,  jun.,  he  being 
directed  thither  by  an  angel  of  the  Lord, 

This  Joseph  Smith  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Sharon,  Windsor  County,  Vt.,  on  the  23d  De- 
cember, 1805,  of  very  humble  parents.  When 
he  was  ten  years  old,  they  removed  to  Palmyra 
in  the  State  of  New  York.  When  he  was 
seventeen  years  old,  he  claimed  to  have  had  a 
vision,  in  which  a  heavenly  messenger  revealed 
to  him  that  certain  sacred  records  engraved  on 
plates  were  buried  in  the  earth,  which  would  be 
delivered  to  him.     He  says  :  — 

"  I  left  the  f^e^^  and  went  to  the  place  wherf  the 
messenger  had  told  me  the  plates  were  deposited ; 
and,  owing  to  the  distinctness  of  the  vision  whi:h  I 
had  had  concerning  it,  I  knew  the  place  the  instant 
I  arrived  there.  Convenient  to  the  village  of  Man- 
chester, Ontario  County,  N.Y.,  stands  a  hill  of  con- 


30 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


siderable  size,  and  the  most  elevated  of  any  in  the 
neighborhood.  On  the  west  side  of  this  hill,  not  far 
from  the  top,  under  a  stone  of  considerable  size,  lay 
the  plates,  deposited  in  a  stone  box.  This  stone  was 
thick  and  rounding  in  the  middle  on  tj.e  ipper  side, 
and  thinner  towards  the  edges,  so  i  ';•.  ?  middle 
part  of  it  was  visible  above  the  groun.i,  l  at  the  edge 
all  round  was  coverea  with  ear'.ii.  Having  r&moved 
the  earth,  and  obtained  a  lever,  which  I  got  fixed 
under  the  edge  of  the  stone,  and  with  a  little  exer- 
tion raised  it  up,  I  looked  in  ;  and  there  indeed  J 
beheld  the  plates,  the  Urim  and  Thummim,  and 
the  breastplate,  as  stated  by  the  messenger.  The 
box  in  which  they  lay  was  formed  by  laying  stones 
together  in  some  kind  of  cement.  In  the  bottom  of 
the  box  were  laid  two  stones  crossways  of  the  box ; 
and  on  these  stones  lay  the  plates  and  the  qX^qt 
things  with  them.  I  made  an  attempt  to  take  ^^nen 
out,  but  was  forbidden  by  the  messengc*-  •,  -j-.  » '.>?• 
again  informed  that  the  time  for  bringing  them  >  " ;» 
had  not  yet  arrived,  neither  would  until  four  yeai' 
from  that  time;  but  he  told  me  that  I  should  cen- 
to that  place  precisely  in  one  year  from  that  time, 
and  that  he  would  there  meet  with  me,  and  that  I 
should  continue  to  do  so  until  the  time  should  come 
for  obtaining  the  plates." 


i;i 


It  is  asserted  that  one 


ir 


each 


y 


^er 


the  interview  with  the  angci,  before  referred  to, 
in  1823,  Joseph  repaired  lo  the  hill  where  the 
plates  were  still  c  epositei,  v/here  he  each  time 
met  with   this  same  heavenly  messenger,  and 


THE  MORMON  CITY  AND    THE  MORMONS.      3 1 


received  further  instructions,  until  the  time  was 
fully  arrived  when  the  plates  were  to  be  deliv- 
ered into  his  hands;  which  took  place  on  the 
2 2d  of  September,  1827.  He  then,  it  is  claimed, 
provided  himself  a  home  with  his  father-in-law 
in  Northern  Pennsylvania,  and  began  the  trans- 
lation of  the  plates  by  the  gift  and  power  of 
God,  through  the  means  of  the  Urim  and 
Thummim. 

Joseph  Smith  was  killed  by  a  mob  at  Car- 
thage, 111.,  June  27,  18  f4;  and  Brigham  Young 
succeeded  him  as  president  of  "  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-Day  Saints,"  He  led 
the  Mormons  across  the  dreary  wilderness  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains,  out  of  the  United  States, 
and  settled  by  the  Great  Salt  Lake  in  the  Re- 
public of  Mexico.  On  the  24th  of  July,  1847, 
his  advance  guard  entered  the  valley ;  and  on 
the  31st  of  July,  Salt  Lake  City  was  commenced. 
By  d.e  treaty  of  Guadaloupe  Hidalgo  in  1848, 
this  territory  was  ceded  to  the  United  States. 

Brigham  Young  was  born  in  Whitingham,  Vt., 
June  I,  1801.  His  father  served  under  Wash- 
ington in  the  Revolution.  He  was  originally  a 
Methodist ;  and  in  1830  he  first  saw  the  "Book 
of  Mormon,"  and  became  a  firm  believer,  and 
was  baptized  into  the  Mormon  Church  two 
years  later.  He  established  a  prosperous  com- 
munity, and  died   at  Salt  Lake  City,  Aug.  29, 


hi 


11  ii 


!  ilil 


32 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


1877  ;  and  was  succeeded  by  John  Taylor,  who 
was  severely  wounded  by  the  mob  at  Carthage 
when  they  assassinated  Joseph  Smith.  Brig- 
ham  Young  took  an  active  part  in  all  the  public 
improvements  likely  to  advance  the  interest 
of  the  Territory,  and  facilitate  communication 
with  the  East.  He  counselled  his  followers 
against  the  pursuit  of  gold  by  mining,  and 
urged  them  to  engage  in  agricultural  pursuits. 
He  died  rich,  at  the  head  of  the  Mormon 
hierarchy. 

Notwithstanding  the  example  of  Abraham 
and  the  practices  of  Solomon,  it  shocks  the  re- 
ligious sentiments  of  every  Christian  to  see  one 
man  with  several  wives  and  several  families  of 
children,  and  we  feel  that  no  decent  man  can 
have  more  than  one  wife  ;  and  the  facility  with 
which  divorces  are  granted,  and  successive  wives 
and  successive  husbands  are  taken  by  many 
people,  bodes  no  good  to  the  Republic,  and 
gives  the  Mormons  the  opportunity,  of  which 
they  avail  themselves,  to  reproach  us. 

If  it  is  difficult  to  deal  with  the  Mormon 
question,  time  will  only  enhance  the  difficulty. 
When  Utah  shall  have  the  requisite  population, 
and  with  a  republican  form  of  constitution 
applies  to  be  admitted  as  an  independent  State, 
she  must  be  received,  unless  rejected  on  some 
reasonable   ground.     If  she   becomes  a  sove- 


TJIE   MORMON  CITY  AND    THE   MORMONS.      33 


reign  State,  the  Federal  Government  cannot 
interfere  with  laws  which  she  may  enact,  relat- 
ing to  marriage,  divorce,  descent  of  property, 
legitimacy,  or  any  domestic  matter  in  harmony 
with  republican  government,  and  not  in  viola- 
tion of  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States. 
If  refused  admittance  on  the  ground  of  her 
peculiar  faith,  party  politics  are  likely  to  inter- 
vene ;  and  one  side  or  the  other  may  consider 
how  two  new  senators  and  two  additional  repre- 
sentatives may  influence  the  presidency. 

We  had  supposed  that  polygamy,  so  abhor- 
rent to  all  our  ideas  of  Christian  civilization, 
was  the  great  objection  to  the  Mormons ;  but 
Gov.  Murray  assured  us  that  it  is  of  small  impor- 
tance compared  to  their  disobedience  and  utter 
disloyalty  to  the  Constitution  and  laws  of  the 
United  States,  and  expressed  to  us  his  amaze- 
ment at  the  indifference  of  the  loyal  and  Chris- 
tian East,  to  what  he  considered  a  great 
abomination,  tending  to  undermine  the  true 
religion  and  subversive  of  republican  govern- 
ment. He  assured  us  that  the  Mormons  openly 
set  at  defiance  the  Acts  of  Congress ;  that  they 
were  loyal  to  the  decrees  of  the  Mormon  priest- 
hood, and  disloyal  to  the  Constitution  and  laws 
of  the  United  States. 

If  the  governor's  statements  are  correct,  one 
fails  to  see  why  Mormons  who  break  the  laws 


I! 


34 


F/iOM  FIFTH  A  VENUE   TO  ALASKA. 


j!»  iki 


are  not  punished,  the  same  as  other  citizens 
who  violate  the  statutes.  If  a  citizen  of  Utah 
robs  the  mail,  or  commits  a  rape,  the  laws 
of  the  United  States  can  deal  with  him,  and 
the  Government  would  not  have  executed  the 
law  against  the  guilty  offender  by  depriving 
him  of  the  right  to  vote.  There  are  laws 
enough  applicable  to  Utah  against  bigamy, 
arson,  robbery,  slavery,  and  polygamy :  Let 
THEM  BE  ENFORCED.  If  there  are  not  enough, 
let  them  be  enacted.  Some  of  our  countrymen 
think  it  a  lame  and  impotent  conclusion  to 
admit  that  the  United  States  cannot  enforce 
her  laws,  and  that  therefore  popular  govern- 
ment must  be  abandoned  in  the  Territory.  The 
Valley  of  the  Jordan  is  capable  of  sustaining  a 
large  population,  and  Utah  is  rapidly  increasing: 
we  having  long  since  establishes  a  Territorial 
government  over  her,  under  which  the  people 
annually  elect  a  legislature,  and  in  conformity 
to  which  they  have  for  many  years  sent  dele- 
gates to  Congress.  It  would  be  novel  in  our 
history  to  take  away  the  elective  franchise  from 
all  the  people,  the  innocent  and  the  guilty, 
and  place  the  government  of  the  Territory  in 
commission. 

Senator  Edmunds,  than  whom  no  one  is 
more  eminent  as  a  constitutional  lawyer,  writes 
to  "  The  Independent :  "  — 


THE  MORMON  CITY  AND    THE  MORMONS.      35 

"  Polygamy  seems  to  mc  to  be  one  of  those  evils 
that  are  to  be  overcome  by  processes  apparently 
slow,  and  by  means  that  will  gather  into  the  opposi- 
tion to  it  all  that  portion  of  the  Mormon  people  — 
and  it  is  considerable  —  who  do  not  believe  in  the 
plural-marriage  business.  I  have  good  reason  to 
believe,  that,  since  the  passage  of  the  last  act,  polyg- 
amous marriages  have  almost  entirely  ceased  there, 
and  that,  with  firm  and  capable  administration  of 
the  law,  they  will  not  be  revived.  The  difficulty 
with  the  proposition  to  put  the  government  of  the 
Territory  into  the  hands  of  a  commission  is  :  — 

^'  First,  That  I  believe  it  to  be  entirely  unconstitu- 
tional, if  the  commission  is  to  be  given  any  law- 
making power ;  and,  I  fear, 

"  Second,  Quite  impracticable  unless  a  local  law- 
making power  shall  be  lodged  somewhere. 

"  Third,  It  is  revolutionary,  and  deprives  the  in- 
nocent as  well  as  the  guilty  of  all  voice  in  public 
affairs.  Nothing  but  the  direst  need  could  justify 
such  a  step. 

*^ Fourth,  It  is  quite  clear  to  my  mind,  that  the  sup- 
pression of  polygamy  will  be  just  as  far  off  with  the 
government  of  the  Territory  in  the  hands  of  a  com- 
mission as  it  is  now,  if  not  farther;  for  it  will  solidify 
and  intensify  a  class  feeling  of  the  Mormons,  and 
tend  to  draw  to  the  support  of  the  hierarchy  and 
polygamists  the  whole  body  of  the  Mormon  people." 


V. 


'■    1! 


The  practice  of  polygamy  is  not  general 
among  the  Mormons,  nor  is  it  likely  to  increase 
in   the   ratio   of   population.      Since  Solomon^ 


36             F/?OM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 

\ 

\\-    ■                       with    his    seven    hundred    wives,    found    it   all 

j  i                           "vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit,"  he  has  had  no 

:i|                           rival;    most  men   finding  the   management  of 

"i                           one  wife  quite  equal  to  their  strength. 

The   advance   of  Christian   civilization,  and 

the  influence  of  public  opinion,  already  demand 

that  the  same  power  which  put  down  slavery 

^  1                           shall  end  polygamy.     But  laws  have  nothing  to 

do  with  faith  in  Joseph  Smith,  or  belief  in  the 

inspiration  of  the  "  Book  of   Mormon."     This 

book  nowhere  enjoins  pol)gamy :   the  idea  of 

1   ,:,                           plurality  of  wives  came  of  an  independent  rev- 

1  »|                        elation,  pretended  to  have  been  communicated 
1 H                        through  Joseph  Smith. 

in                             In  the  preface  to  this  "  Book  of  Mormon"  is 

n                        the  following  :  — 

11                                        THE   TESTIMONY   OF    EIGHT   WITNESSES. 

■i    .                            Be  it  known  unto  all  nations,  kindreds,  tongues, 

II                           and  people  unto  whom  this  work  shall  come,  that 

U                           Joseph  Smith,  jun.,  the  translator  of  this  work,  has 

H                           shewn  unto  us  the  plates  of  which  hath  been  spoken. 

H  ■                         which  have  the  appearance  of  gold  ;  and  as  many  of 

■1                           the  leaves  as  the  said  Smith  has  translated,  we  did 

M                           handle  with  our  hands  ;  and  we  also  saw  the  engrav- 

^H                           ings  thereon,  all   of   which    has  the  appearance  of 

1"                           ancient  work,  and   of   curious  workmanship.     And 

i'                                 this  we  bear  record  with  words  of  soberness,  that 

j!  yjg                           the  said  Smith  has  shewn  unto  us.  for  we  have  seen 

D                           and   hefted,    and   know   of    a   ourety  that   the  said 

1  H                           Smith  has  got  the  plates  of  which  we  have  spoken. 

THE  MORMON  CITY  AND    THE  MORMONS.      37 


And  we  give  our  names  unto  the  world,  to  witness 
unto  the  world  that  which  we  have  seen  ;  and  we  lie 
not,  God  bearing  witness  of  it. 

CHRISTIAN   WIIITMER,  HIRAM   PAGE, 

JACOB   WHITMER,  JOSEPH   SMITH,  Sen. 

PETER  V^HITMER,  JuN.  HYKUM   SMITH, 

JOHN  WHITMER,  SAMUEL   II.   SMITH, 

Where  are  these  golden  plates,  engraven 
with  the  "sacred  record"?  Where  are  the 
"  Urim  and  Thummim "  by  the  aid  of  which 
the  engraving  was  translated  ?  When  my 
father  put  these  questions  to  a  believing  Mor- 
mon, he  looked  hurt  and  bewildered  as  did  the 
negro  preacher,  who,  while  loudly  exhorting  his 
brethren  to  repentance,  finally  wound  up  his 
peroration  by  giving  his  audience  a  glowing 
description  of  the  creation,  as  follows :  "  My 
brederen,  de  good  Lord  stuck  out  his  eye,  and 
gazed  ober  de  whole  earth,  and  den  he  said, 
•  Let  us  make  a  man : '  so  den  he  took  some 
wet  clay  by  de  ribber  side,  just  ob  de  right  sort, 
and  he  moulded  his  arms,  and  den  de  legs,  and 
den  he  put  a  head  on  him,  and  sot  him  up 
agin  a  fence."  A  young  fellow  in  the  front 
row  at  this  stage  shouted  out,  "  War  dot  fence 
come  from?"  The  old  preacher  paused  one 
moment :  then  a  look  of  sadness  came  over  his 
withered  face ;  and,  sternly  pointing  his  long 
forefinger    at    the    repn)bate,    he    said,    "  T'ree 


:i  t 


IP! 


38 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


% 


more  of  dem  questions  will  undermine  de  whole 
system  ob  t'eology." 

It  seems  amazing  that  sane  men  can  believe 
that  there  ever  were  any  such  plates ;  and  yet 
we  know  that  the  Buddhists  far  outnumber  all 
the  Christian  sects  combined,  that  the  followers 
of  Confucius  are  more  than  the  followers  of 
Christ,  and  that  the  Mahometans  largely  out- 
number all  the  Protestant  Christians,  showing 
that  false  religions  have  more  votaries  than  the 
true. 

We  have  no  right  to  interfere  with  Mormon 
faith,  however  preposterous ;  but  when  Mor- 
mons, or  any  other  sect,  disobey  the  laws,  the 
Government  should  enforce  obedience  at  any 
cost. 

I  do  not  claim  to  have  any  valuable  judgment 
upon  this  subject,  and  only  jot  down  the  sub- 
stance of  many  discussions  which  I  have  heard  ; 
but  I  cannot  understand  why  the  laws  of  the 
United  States  should  not  be  enforced  in  the 
Territory  of  Utah,  the  same  as  in  our  other 
Territories. 

At  Salt  Lake  it  seldom  rains  in  summer ;  but 
the  facilities  for  irrigation  are  ample,  and  three 
good  crops  of  luzerne  clover  are  procured  in 
a  season :  and,  though  the  midday  is  hot,  the 
nights  are  always  cool. . 

It  is  conceded  by  all  that*  the  Mormons  are 


THE  MORMON  CITY  AND    THE  MORMONS.      39 


temperate,  industrious,  and  economical.  The 
Church,  and  not  the  State,  decides  disputes 
between  contending  Mormons.  Its  authority- 
is  absolute,  and  this  concentration  of  power 
over  willing  obedience  seems  to  aid  the  accu- 
mulation of  wealth. 

The  city  lias  two  commodious  theatres,  many 
fine  buildings,  and  several  beautiful  mansions, 
with  charming  lawns,  flowers,  and  shrubbery. 
Besides  the  Amelia  Palace  where  the  president 
resides,  there  are  other  residences  equally  fine  : 
the  house  of  Mr.  Jennings  the  mayor,  where 
we  were  entertained,  would  attract  attention  by 
its  size  and  beautiful  grounds,  in  any  city  of 
the  East.  We  were  much  about  the  city,  both 
by  night  as  well  as  by  day ;  and  it  seemed 
orderly  and  generally  well  cared  for,  and  Gov. 
Murray  told  us  that  it  was  so.  He,  however,  at 
all  times  denounced  the  Mormons,  not  so  much 
on  account  of  their  po  v  ;-mous  doctrines,  but 
chiefly  on  account  of  what  he  considered  their 
disloyalty  to  the  Union. 

A  walk  about  the  Mormon  city  after  night- 
fall will  reveal  that  it  is  by  no  means  free  from 
the  vices  of  other  cities  of  its  size. 

The  plural  wives  and  different  families  of 
the  chief  Mormons  are  not  placed  in  the  same 
house,  but  have  separate  dwellings.  The  head 
of  a  family  has  less  trouble  about  keeping  good 


\- 


% 


I 


40 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


servants  than  the  Gentiles  have.  If  a  laundress, 
housemaid,  or  cook  proves  herself  acceptable,  he 
can  marry  as  many  such  as  he  chooses :  and  the 
maid  being  "sealed  unto  him"  is  his  servant 
for  life,  —  a  slavery  which  seems  voluntary ; 
but  this  also  imposes  the  obligation  of  care, 
protection,  and  support  upon  the  man. 

Polygamy  cannot  last  long-  ^11  the  better 
instincts  as  well  as  the  princip  f  our  people 
are  against  it. 


FJiOM  SALT  LAKE    TO  SAN  FRANCISCO. 


41 


CHAPTER  V. 


FROM   SAI/'    r.AKE  CITY   TO   ^AN   FRANCISCO. 


T  <-■ 


\\ 


Wonderful  is  the  railroad-train !  The  first 
that  ever  ran  over  an  American  road  was  (in 
1 831)  from  Albany  to  Schenectady,  N.Y.  Mr. 
Sidney  Dillon,  now  president  of  the  Union 
Pacific,  is  said  to  have  been  on  that  train. 

We  are  now  on  the  Central  Pacific  Road, 
one  thousand  and  thirty-two  miles  from  Omaha, 
and  eight  hundred  and  thirty-five  miles  from 
San  Francisco.  Fifty-two  miles  west  of  Ogden 
is  Promontory,  where  the  last  spike  uniting  the 
two  roads  was  driven  on  the  loth  of  May,  1869. 
To  accomplish  this,  ten  miles  of  track  were  laid 
in  one  day  on  the  Central  Pacific  Road. 

Eleven  hundred  miles  from  Omaha  com- 
mences the  American  Desert ;  and  for  a  hun- 
dred miles  it  is  a  desert  indeed,  in  which  you 
swallow  alkaline  dust  at  every  breath.  The 
dusty  desert  continues  until  you  reach  Wads- 
worth,  1,587  miles  from  Omaha,  and  555  miles 
from  Ogden.  1,633  miles  from  Omaha,  we 
reach  California. 


!■■: 


% 


^iji 


42 


/yPOA/"  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


Summit  is  1,667  JTiiles  from  Omaha,  and  the 
highest  point  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains 
passed  over  by  the  Central  Road.  It  is  at  an 
elevation  of  7,017  feet;  but  granite  peaks  are 
near,  rising  over  10,000  feet.  There  are  many 
miles  of  snowshed^s,  and  one  tunnel  of  1^59 
feet,  in  these  mountains. 

Near  Colfax,  1,722  miles  from  Omaha,  is 
some  grand  scenery. 

Sacramento  is  1,776  miles  from  Omaha,  and 
ninety-one  miles  from  San  Francisco.  Until 
1870  Sacramento  was  the  end  of  the  Central 
Pacific  Road ;  but  when  the  road  from  Sacra- 
mento to  San  Francisco  Vv-as  completed  (called 
the  Western  Pacific),  it  was  consolidated  with 
the  Central  Pacific.  This  is  a  thriving  town, 
on  the  east  bank  of  the  Sacramento  River, 
of  some  twenty-eight  thousand  inhabitants. 
The  country  round  is  exceedingly  fertile  and 
beautiful :  vineyards,  fruit-orchards,  and  im- 
mense wheat-fields  spread  over  vast  areas.  We 
reached  there  on  the  nth  of  June,  and  much 
wheat  was  already  harvested. 


I  '■ 


SAN  FRANCISCO. 


43 


■ 


CHAPTER  VI. 

SAN   FRANCISCO.  — THE  BAY.  — THE  MARKETS.  — THE 
BUILDINGS.  — THE  CHINESE   QUARTER. 

On  Monday,  before  eleven  o'clock  on  the 
nth  of  June,  we  reached  Oakland  Pier;  and, 
sailing  five  miles  by  steamer  across  the  bay, 
we  reached  the  Palace  Hotel  in  San  Francisco 
before  twelve  o'clock. 

A  remarkable  city  it  is.  It  lies  on  the  west 
side  of  a  bay  more  than  fifty  miles  long,  large 
enough  to  float  the  navies  of  the  world.  On 
the  west  side  of  the  narrow  strip  of  land  at 
whose  north  extremity  the  city  stands,  are 
mountains  wliich  entirely  conceal  the  ocean 
and  protec:  the  bay.  The  Golden  Gale,  very 
deep  and  narrow,  !>carce  three-quarters  of  a 
mile  wide,  is  the  only  way  to  the  grea"  ocean. 

We  went  to  the  Palace  Hotel,  which  no  vis- 
itor should  fail  to  visit,  if  only  for  a  few  hours, 
it  is  the  largest  hotel  in  the  world,  with  its 
seven  hundred  and  fifty  rooms,  its  seven  vast 
stories,  dining-rooms,  electric  bells,  and  every 
modern  convenience  ;  to  say  nothing  of  the  an- 


H 


Vi. 


44 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


fit   :+! 


nouncement  that  it  is  earthquake-proof,  which 
means  that  large  iron  anchors  hold  it  together, 
rendering  it  tolerably  secure  against  an  occa- 
sional danger.  The  table  d'hote  is  poor,  each 
waiter  having  the  air  of  one  who  had  never 
been  feed  and  who  never  expected  to  be ;  the 
restaurant,  on  the  contrary,  being  excellent. 

We  visited  the  jewelry-store  of  Col.  An- 
drews, where  the  "  last  spike  "  for  the  Union  and 
Central  Railroads  was  made.  This  well-known 
repository  of  diamonds,  gold,  and  silver,  the 
Tiffany  of  the  West,  is  situate:'  in  Montgomery 
Street,  and  bears  the  enticing  name  of  the 
"  Diamond  Palace."  They  showed  us  the  mini- 
ature imitation  of  the  Parthenon  in  Paris,  com- 
posed of  some  twenty  native  quartz  specimens 
containing  gold  in  its  natural  state ;  the  model 
standing  some  two  feet  in  height,  exquisite  in 
point  of  workmanship,  and  valued  at  twenty 
thousand  dollars.  Two  men  were  employed  for 
a  couple  of  years  in  the  mines,  gathering  per- 
fect specimens  of  gold-quartz  for  its  manufac- 
ture. Gen.  and  Mrs.  Grant,  among  the  many 
courtesies  tendered  them,  had  the  honor  of 
walking  over  solid  bricks  of  gold,  so  that  Dick 
Whittington's  London  dream  was  realized  in 
San  Francisco. 

Our  first  impression  of  San  Francisco  was 
that  of  a  mushroom  city ;   since  every  house, 


SAN  FRANCISCO. 


45 


which  at  a  distance  appeared  like  white  marble, 
granite,  or  sandstone,  turned  out,  on  closer  in- 
spection, to  be  painted  wood.  This  in  a  city 
noted  for  its  wealth  was  surprising ;  but  we 
soon  ascertained  that  it  arose,  not  from  lack  of 
means,  but  from  caution  against  dangers  from 
earthquakes.  The  foundations,  nevertheless;  are 
in  many  cases  of  granite. 

We  heard  Charles  Wyndham  in  the  evening. 
Curious  how  tastes  differ !  for  in  New  York  he 
and  his  company  played  their  famous  great 
"Divorce  Case,"  to  crowded  houses;  but  here 
their  actin.    vas  poorly  appreciated. 

The  agent  oi  tho  Central  Pacific  Railroad 
had  volunteered  to  initiate  mt  into  the  mys- 
teries of  the  "  Chinese  Quarter."  where  vice, 
opium,  religion,  thrift,  laziness,  ga  ibling,  and 
penury  may  be  heard,  smelt,  seen,  in  all  the 
realism  of  China  itself.  There  are  about 
twenty  thousand  Chinese  living  like  sardines 
inside  of  their  sandwiched  ho'  os.  Here,  to 
live  in  this  little  space  of  a  lew  acres,  China- 
men cross  the  Pacific  to  wash  clothes,  smoke  in 
their  "joints,"  and  utterly  eradicate  every  whole- 
Ljome  aspect  of  the  place. 

We  rapidly  walked  up  Sacramento  Street ; 
and,  as  if  by  magic,  modern  civilization  van- 
ished, and  we  stood  transported,  as  if  by  Alad- 
din's lamp,  to  a  new  world  of  Chinese  lanterns, 


■in 


46 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


h 


^^'! 


colors,  pigtails,  and  strange  odors.  Little  stalls 
with  their  neatly  arranged  wares  were  displayed, 
and  Chinese  flags  and  flaring  announcements 
glared  at  us  on  all  sides.  My  guide  was  inde- 
fatigable :  the  doors  of  gambling-hells,  "opium 
joints,"  and  lower  resorts,  all  seemed  familiar 
to  my  cicerone. 

Detectives  and  some  other  personages  are 
said  to  be  indispensable  for  this  visit ;  and,  be- 
lieving these  tales,  I  had  taken  my  "  British 
bulldog"  before  starting.  It  was  totally  un- 
necessary; for  nothing  interfered  with  us,  so 
that  I  unfortunately  cannot  thrill  my  readers 
with  any  startling  details. 

We  strolled  into  the  theatre,  and  took  our 
stand  behind  the  eager  crowd,  who,  mute  and 
motionless,  watched  the  antics,  and  closely  lis- 
tened to  the  nasal  twang,  of  the  actors.  The 
play  was  "  An  Abduction,"  the  chief  Chinese 
occupying  boxes.  We  did  not  wait  to  see  who 
was  abducted ;  for,  even  in  San  Francisco,  the 
play  lasts  eight  hours,  while  in  China  it  extends 
over  some  six  or  eight  weeks. 

Next  we  sai  itered  into  the  famous  Bun  Sun 
Low  restaurant,  in  Jackson  Street,  where  Gen. 
Grant  was  entertained.  As  Chinese  women  do 
not  act,  here  my  first  opportunity  occurred  for 
seeing  their  fair  sex;  small,  all  alike,  blank 
faces  and  dirty  nails.     Every  one  as  we  entered 


WJHiJi/iyi"!.  !>r'"  "vr- 


SAN^  FRANCISCO. 


47 


was  absorbed  in  using  their  chopsticks;  and  I 
watched  them  for  some  seconds,  amused  at 
their  dexterity.  On  the  top  floor,  with  its  seats 
made  of  walnut  and  cherry,  walls  filagreed  with 
gold,  together  with  numerous  ebony  ornaments, 
several  opium  "lay-outs"  looked  conveniently 
inviting.  We  sat  on  the  veranda,  gazing  dovvn 
upon  this  vision  of  a  strange  unclvllization. 
Now  and  again,  along  the  sidewalk  lighted  sticks 
were  burning  in  a  row,  with  a  Chinaman  salaam- 
ing to  them  ;  this  being  their  strange  way  to  ap- 
pease the  spirits.  Our  waiter  comes  in  ;  and  tea 
is  ready  in  the  cups,  with  covers  of  the  same 
material  as  the  saucers,  for  every  cup  is  the 
Chinaman's  teapot.  Up  rolled  our  Celestial ; 
each  little  cup  is  full  of  boiling  water,  the  cov- 
ers being  replaced,  leaving  a  slight  aperture  for 
the  stoam.  Ginger  delicious  in  its  flavor,  curi- 
ous aromatic  Chinese  /ic/ii-nuts,  and  delightful 
cakes,  regale  us  until  the  tea  is  made.  Up 
rushes  Wing  Wang,  and  with  a  dexterous  turn 
of  his  wrist  without  upsetting  the  lid,  pours 
each  respectively  his  portion  into  a  still  smaller 
cup.  The  aroma  and  richness  of  the  oolong  is 
retained  by  this  process. 

We  then  entered  the  Chinese  joss-house,  or 
temple,  and  unguents  at  once  gave  us  warning 
of  what  we  might  expect.  We  continued  on  ; 
dark  ebony  idols  grinning  at  us  from  even  more 


48 


FROM  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


sombre  corners,  while  dimly  lighted  tapers 
brought  out  the  strange,  weird,  and  startling 
hangings  of  these  places  of  worship.  Finally 
a  sleepy  Chinese  pointed  out  the  idols,  one 
grinning  fellow  with  red  glass  eyes  and  sharp 
teeth  being  shown  us  as  the  bad  devil  who  had 
killed  his  mother ;  next,  one  strong  man  who 
had  killed  a  lion,  beside  him  lying  a  yellow 
stuffed  dog,  the  result  of  his  prowess.  None 
of  my  friends  had  ever  seen  the  Chinese  at  their 
devotions,  so  that  I  was  anxious  to  witness  this 
ceremony.  The  pig-eyed  Celestial  laid  some 
leaves  containing  prayers  in  a  species  of  oven 
with  a  flue,  lit  them,  and  then  made  a  terrific 
row  on  a  kind  of  tom-tom,  professing  that  the 
gods  hearing  them  take  the  prayers  heaven- 
ward :  as  a  matter  of  fact,  they  naturally  grow 
lighter  until  the  draught  takes  them  up  through 
the  flue. 

We  then  strolled  through  the  crooked  alleys, 
and  rambled  in  and  out  the  narrow  lanes,  re- 
minding one  of  some  little  byways  in  Oxford 
or  Naples,  Baveno  and  Belaggio,  along  Lago 
Maggiore  and  Como,  and  other  little  Italian 
towns  which  now  occur  to  my  mind.  Through 
many  of  the  tortuous  ways,  debauch  and  ca- 
rouse were  rampant,  and  the  ruffling  sound  and 
brouhaha  of  the  Chinese  gaming-counters  came 
to  our  ears.     Many  of  the  labyrinths  that  we 


••T-IA  M"-  ^'TVw,^  'T  ' 


l!^l 


^■.^iV  FRANCISCO. 


49 


I  i 


passed  through  were  composed  entirely  of  httle 
Chinese  stalls,  a  female  face  at  each  little  win- 
dow inviting  in  twangy  broken  English  the 
passer-by.  Home  we  sauntered,  more  and  more 
assured,  that,  if  the  Eastern  people  could  only 
pay  one  half-hours  visit  to  China-town,  their 
cries  in  favor  of  future  immigration  from  China 
would  soon  cease. 

June  12  my  friends,  Sir  John  Lister  Kaye 
and  his  plucky  American  wife,  —  whom  I  had 
not  seen  since  we  crossed  from  England  last 
November  in  the  "Germanic,"  —  happening  to 
be  at  the  "  Palace,"  we  all  dined  together,  and 
afterward  went  to  hear  "  Fatinltza."  Like  many 
Englishmen  of  title  who  desire  to  raise  a  golden 
crop  and  enjoy  a  healthy  outdoor  life,  he  bought 
some  five  thousand  acres  ninety-two  miles  north 
of  San  Francisco,  planted  it  with  wheat,  and 
thus  far  has  been  very  successful.  Lady  Kaye 
spends  much  time  in  the  saddle,  riding  over  the 
fields  with  her  husband.  Chinamen  do  their 
cooking;  and  though  their  luxuries  are  primi- 
tive, the  evident  good  health  and  spirits  which 
they  both  enjoy  speak  well  for  the  life  they  lead. 

We  rode  about  the  city  in  the  cable-cars,  a 
valuable  invention,  especially  for  a  place  like 
San  Francisco,  where  the  streets  run  over  hills 
immensely  steep  and  high,  where  it  would  seem 
impossible  for  horses  to  drag  a  carriage  up,  or 


f 


50 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


ill 


to  come  down  without  destruction.  Wire  ca- 
bles, running  in  a  grooved  iron  tube  below  the 
surface  of  the  street,  are  moved  by  stationary 
engines.  The  rail- track  is  on  either  side  of  the 
cable,  and  a  clamp  in  the  middle  of  the  front 
car  seizes  the  moving  rope  of  iron,  and  thus 
the  car  moves  on.  The  clamp  is  opened,  the 
brake  put  down,  when  necessary  to  stop,  and 
this  is  done  much  quicker  than  a  horse-car  can 
be  stopped :  to  start  again,  a  wheel  is  turned, 
which  by  a  screw  clamps  the  rope,  and  the  car 
goes  on  again.  Without  this  machinery,  it  is 
difficult  to  see  how  the  splendid  mansions  of 
Crocker,  Hopkins,  Colton,  and  Gov.  Stanford 
could  ever  be  reached  on  their  steep,  high  hill. 
On  the  13th  of  June  we  went  through  all  the 
markets.  We  saw  oysters  large  and  small, 
their  flavor  execrable,  like  the  waters  of  Salt 
Lake,  —  acrid  and  unpalatable,  —  saw  clams, 
soft  and  hard,  large  and  small,  smooth  and 
hairy,  black  muscles  also  (the  taste  was  not 
agreeable)  ;  the  crabs  were  immense  in  size, 
tender,  and  of  excellent  flavor ;  squirrels  abun- 
dant on  the  stalls.  The  meats  generally  were 
not  very  good.  Strawberries  and  raspberries 
were  there,  dry  and  acid  ;  cherries  and  potatoes 
superb  ;  artichokes  large,  but  destitute  of  flavor. 
I  purchased  two  purple  figs  for  half  a  dollar, 
but  could  not  eat  them ;   they  were   evidently 


SAN  FRANCISCO. 


51 


plucked  before  the  time.  Most  things  we  pur- 
chased for  testing  them  cost  a  "  bit."  I  had 
never  heard  of  that  coin  before,  but  found  that 
a  "  bit,"  when  you  paid  it.  was  fifteen  cents, 
and,  when  you  received  it,  was  ten  cents. 

On  our  return  from  the  Yosemite  Valley,  I 
shall  have  much  more  to  say  about  this  won- 
derful city. 


I  I 


i^^ 


!  I 


$9 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE   TO  ALASKA. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

TO  THE  YOSEMITE  VALLEY. 

At  four  o'clock  p.m.  on  the  13th  of  June, 
^e  left  San  Francisco  for  the  Yosemite.  We 
reached  Stockton  by  rail  (a  hundred  and  three 
miles),  and  the  next  morning  proceeded  by 
rail  to  Milton  (thirty  miles),  then  by  stage  to 
Priest's  (thirty-eight  miles),  where  we  lodged, 
thence  to  Crocker's  (thirty  miles),  where  we 
remained  till  the  next  morning,  when  we  went 
twenty  miles  more  to  the  Yosemite  House  in 
the  valley :  total  distance,  two  hundred  and 
twenty-one  miles.  The  valley  is  nearly  due 
east  from  San  Francisco.  By  daylight,  we  were 
three  days  in  reaching  it.  The  stage  -  road 
nearly  all  the  way  from  Milton  was  rough  and 
dusty,  and  the  sun  was  intensely  hot. 

The  round  trip  from  San  Francisco  to  the 
Yosemite,  the  big  trees  of  the  North  and  South 
Groves,  and  back,  including  the  stage  and  horse- 
back rides,  is  a  journey  of  about  five  hundred 
miles,  and  requires  twelve  days,  if  you  see 
all  well. 


^T 


r 


NO.   J. 


NO.   -. 


TO    THE    YOSEMITE    VALLEY. 


S3 


Reaching  Milton,  all  the  excursionists  took 
coaches  of  some  description  ;  father  and  I  be- 
ing alone  in  a  light,  two-horse  conveyance,  which 
gave  us  much  more  room,  and  less  dust.  On 
we  bowled  through  an  undulating,  dry,  barren 
countr)' ;  patches  of  evergreen  decking  here  and 
there  the  otherwise  dusty  hillocks,  and  every 
thing  which,  before  the  commencement  of  the 
Californian  rainless  season,  had  been  green  as 
an  English  lawn,  now  parched  and  shrivelled ; 
the  little  residue  of  nourishment  being  quickly 
nibbled  by  the  bands  of  sheep,  which,  in  an  in- 
credibly short  time,  give  to  the  greensward  the 
appearance  which  follows  the  departure  of  a 
locust  plague. 

We  noticed,  as  the  country  began  to  assume 
a  more  mountainous  aspect,  that  large  numbers 
of  pines  were  indented  with  immense  numbers 
of  round,  dark-looking  holes,  about  the  size  of 
a  .44  or  .50  calibre  ball.  A  couple  of  English- 
men on  a  previous  trip,  having  asked  our  driver 
what  they  were,  received  the  startling  informa- 
tion, "  Wal,  this  air  the  identical  correct  spot 
war  Sittin'  Bull,  Spotted  Tail,  and  Shootin'  Star 
tackled  Gen,  Custer ;  and  them  air  things  is 
bullet  -  holes."  At  first  glance  we  imagined 
them  to  be  the  excavations  which  woodpeckers 
had  made  in  quest  of  the  bark-maggots,  or  little 
tree-worms ;  but  we  learned,  that,  fearing  the 


*  ii 


i 


54 


FROM  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


approach  of  isnow,  the  woodpecker  bores  the 
holes,  and  inserts  with  his  strong  bill  myriads  of 
acorns,  each  receptacle  forming  a  little  store- 
house for  x  nut,  a  safeguard  against  the  winter. 

Chaparrals  dotted  the  surface  on  all  sides ;. 
and,  for  the  first  time,  we  encountered  the 
noted  poisonous  oak,  a  three-leaf  tree,  growing 
some  ten  or  fifteen  feet  high,  a  little  in  appear- 
ance like  our  three-leaf  poisonous  ivy,  although 
somewhat  less  shiny.  Starch  and  water  is  said 
to  be  a  good  antidote,  the  shrub  producing  a 
swelling  intensely  painful ;  a  lady  travelling 
with  us  showed  us  her  arm,  where  its  effects 
were  plainly  manifest  in  red  blotches  and  dis- 
figurements. 

Thr  horses  of  California,  and  throughout  the 
West  generally,  can  endure  more  work,  and 
last  much  longer,  than  our  Eastern  horses : 
they  also  possess  the  wonderful  power  of  trot- 
ting fast  down  steep  hills  without  a  stumble,  or 
strain  to  their  shoulders.  The  brake  has  much 
to  do  with  this  apparent  reckless  driving,  and 
the  skill  of  its  management  is  of  immense  help. 

A  coach  -  and  -  four  started  from  "Priest's," 
where  we  halted  for  the  night,  and  found  the 
best-cooked  meals  and  neatest  hotel  on  this 
Yosemite  trip.  All  the  seats  were  occupied. 
The  brake  was  known  to  have  beei  broken,  and 
was  merely  bound  together  with  a  cord,  but 


% 


if 


U-l'iJ 


TO    THE    YOSEMITE    VALLEY. 


55 


•was  considered  quite  safe.  All  went  well  until, 
going  down  an  unusually  steep  hill,  the  brake 
gave  way,  the  momentum  was  greatly  increased, 
the  stage  turned  on  a  stump,  toppled  over,  and 
all  were  hurled  to  the  ground,  but  —  mirabile 
dictu  —  not  a  single  individual  was  injured 
save  one,  a  Catholic  priest,  who  having  fool- 
ishly kept  his  foot  out  of  the  carriage,  his  foot 
and  ankle  were  completely  severed  :  it  festered, 
and  the  limb  had  to  be  amputated  above  the 
knee  ;  the  poor  fellow  died. 

AIJ  along  our  way,  large  numbers  of  moan- 
ing-doves  and  quails,  two  and  two,  were  cross- 
ing our  road  very  frequently.  The  quails  struck 
me  as  especially  beautiful,  with  their  chocolate, 
white,  and  mauve-colored  markings.  These 
valley  quail  are  much  larger  and  more  beautiful 
than  our  Eastern  birds ;  and  the  cock,  with  his 
black  and  brown  crest  curling  over  his  beak,  is 
especially  gaudy  when  near  at  hand,  somewhat 
resembling  the  French  partridge.  The  Califor- 
nia mountain  birds  differ  from  their  cousins  in 
the  valley,  both  with  respect  to  size,  being 
much  larger,  and  also  In  that  the  cock  has  a 
crest  which  rises  straight  up  instead  of  inclining 
bow-shaped  over  the  bill.  Indians  net  them 
very  cleverly  by  means  of  low  brush  hedges, 
containing  apertures  through  which  the  birds 
thrust  their  heads  when  endeavoring  to  escape, 


? 


A 


56 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO   ALASKA. 


thus  getting  caught  in  the  httle  horsehair  slip- 
noose  already  set  round  these  openings. 

Multitudes  of  gray  and  red  squirrels,  with 
occasionally  a  black  fellow,  skipped  about,  — 
quite  a  happy  hunting-ground  for  "Alice  in 
Wonderland  ;  "  while  little  chipmunks  skimmed 
up  bowlders,  finding  microscopic  footholds  in  a 
manner  to  have  made  a  chamois  or  the  nimblest 
alpine-club  man  gnash  his  teeth  with  envy. 

Jtme  15.  —  This  morning  we  started  from 
Priest's  for  another  long  day's  drive.  The 
scenery  began  to  change,  and  grow  in  breadth 
and  altitude.  Sugar  and  yellow  pines,  with 
other  evergreens,  slowly  became  larger  and 
more  lofty  as  we  advanced  up  the  hillsides. 
Now  and  again  we  rushed  down  spme  little 
glen,  its  rippling  valley-stream  spanned  by  a 
rude  bridge,  or  toiled  up  a  steep  ascent,  until 
weary,  dusty,  and  tired,  we  arrived  towards 
night  at  Crocker's,  cool  and  delicious,  —  the 
evening's  halting  -  place.  Dinner  over,  we 
turned  in,  and  found  that  only  paper  separated 
us  from  our  next-door  neighbors.  A  newly 
married  couple  on  their  wedding-tour  were  next 
to  me.  One  man,  next  day,  tried  to  shave  at 
sunrise ;  and  even  though  he  was  several  rooms 
away,  the  grating  of  his  beard  could  be  distinct- 
ly heard. 

June  16.  —  Left  Crocker's  at  six  a.m.,  quite 


i«  il 


r 


TO    THE    YOSEMITE    VALLEY. 


ST 


well  satisfied  with  both  last  night's  dinner  and 
this  morning's  breakfast.  Now  we  journeyed 
through  a  magnificent  forest  of  big  pines,  and 
finally  encountered  our  first  sequoia  gigantiay 
over  thirty  feet  in  diameter. 

Some  forty  miles  before  reaching  the  valley, 
we  passed  through  miles  of  pine  forest  of  the 
most  magnificent  trees.  The  yellow  and  the 
sugar  pines  are  vast  in  size,  and  measure  from 
two  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred  and  sixty- 
five  feet  in  height,  retaining  their  great  diameter 
for  more  than  a  hundred  feet.  The  cones  of  the 
sugar-pines  measure  from  eighteen  to  twenty 
inches  in  length.  A  New- York  lady  picked  up 
one  perfect  in  form  and  twenty  inches  long, 
and  intended  to  bring  it  home. 

As  our  stagecoach  rounds  Inspiration  Point, 
we  come  in  view  of  the  valley,  to  reach  the 
bottom  of  which  we  are  obliged  to  descend  a 
fearful  road  some  four  thousand  feet.  That 
danger  over,  we  cross  the  Merced  River,  which 
runs  through  the  bottom  of  the  valley ;  and, 
driving  three  miles  or  more  along  its  banks^ 
we  reach  the  hotel,  directly  in  front  of  the  far- 
famed  Yosemite  Falls. 


|8 


FROM  FIFTH  A  VENUE   TO  ALASKA. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


THK  YOSEMITE  VALLEY, 


The  next  day  (June  17),  our  party  starting 
on  our  six  ponies,  headed  by  our  guide,  we 
finally  arrived  — by  a  series  of  zigzag  turns, 
reminding  one  of  the  ascent  to  the  Gbrner 
Grat  Hotel  at  Zermatt,  Switzerland  —  at  the 
Vernal  Falls  (Indian  name  Pi-us-ack,  significa- 
tion "  Cataract  of  Diamonds  "),  a  splendid  sheet 
of  tumbling  waters.  We  sat  on  Lady  Franklin's 
Rock,  and  viewed  the  magnificent  scenery,  the 
foaming  tide  struggling  with  the  colossal  bowl- 
ders. Remounting,  after  another  hour's  climb, 
we  reached  the  Nevada  Falls  :  these,  too,  are 
superb. 

After  a  good  lunch  of  trout  at  the  little  hotel, 
we  began  our  return.  The  proprietor  of  this 
small  inn  has  a  pool  containing  some  two  thou- 
sand or  so  of  trout,  all  over  half  a  pound,  which 
he  is  keeping  till  the  spawning  is  over,  and 
then,  as  an  amusement  to  his  guests,  intends  to 
allow  fishing  in  July  and  August. 

Returning  to  the  Vernal  Falls,  several  of  our 


THE    YOSEMITE    VALLEY. 


59 


party,  including  one  lady,  stood  on  a  little 
narrow  elge  of  rock,  supported  by  the  guide, 
and  looked  down  some  three  hundred  and 
eighty  feet  of  frothy  foam.  A  member  of  the 
English  Alpine  Club  and  myself  went  down  a 
small  hole  in  the  rocks,  and  stood  on  a  ledge 
below  in  order  to  see  the  rainbow.  These 
winding  trails,  tracing  their  circuitous  courses 
up  among  the  mountains,  are  daily  traversed 
by  these  sure-footed  Indian  ponies ;  and  the 
astonishing  manner  in  which  they  pick  their 
way  over  logs  and  slippery  rocks  is  wonderful. 
I  have  hardly  ever  known  them  to  stumble,  and 
should  feel  as  secure  as  on  the  Swiss  mules, 
proverbially  famous  for  their  safety. 

Racing  our  mustangs  back,  we  reached  the 
hotel  quite  hungry  and  ready  for  dinner.  We 
visited  a  curious  old  bar-room  hung  around  with 
antlers,  guns,  swords,  duelling-pistols  with  their 
bloody  history  attached,  and  old  racing  cartoons; 
in  fact,  a  large  edition  of  "  Uncle  Tom's  "  chop- 
house  in  New  York.  One  curiosity  is  well 
worth  mentioning,  —  that  of  a  huge  autograph 
volume,  the  repository  of  the  names  of  visitors 
who  have  visited  the  valley  during  the  last  ten 
years.  This  book  weighs  some  hundred  and 
nrieen  pounds,  and  contains  fifteen  thousand 
names.  Among  many  well-known  signatures, 
my  attention  was  drawn  to  this  :  — 


I 


ij 


'>    I 


6o 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


"J.  A.  Garfield,  Hiram,  Ohio. 

"  No  one  can  thoroughly  study  this  valley  and  its  sur- 
roundings without  being  broader-minded  thereafter. 
"May  15,  1875." 

What  marred  the  poetry  of  this  fine  senti- 
ment was  the  fact,  that  several  people  told  me 
that  they  had  nover  met  such  narrow-minded 
people  as  these  grand  cliffs  enclosed.  Perhaps, 
if  true,  this  comes  from  a  feeling  of  imprison- 
ment which  even  a  casual  visitor  cannot  help 
remarking ;  for,  although  the  valley  is  some  six 
miles  long,  its  breadth  is  but  a  quarter  of  a 
mile,  and  considering  the  vast  precipitous 
height  of  these  cliffs,  —  some  four  thousand 
feet,  —  the  sensation  can  be  realized. 

Our  antiquated  guide  "  Pike,"  the  oldest 
hui.ter  in  the  valley,  catching  a  severe  cold  one 
morning  while  hunting  deer  on  the  mountain, 
almost  completely  lost  his  voice ;  and  a  very 
inquisitive,  lean,  gaunt,  cadaverous-looking 
Eastern  man  kept  worrying  him  with  questions. 
Finally  the  visitor  said,  "  How  comes  it  that  you 
appear  to  be  deficient  in  your  bronchial  tubes  ?  " 
—  •'  Answering  the  questions  of  damn  fools 
sich  as  you,"  was  the  quick  rejoinder. 

185 1  was  the  date  of  the  first  white  man's 
entrance  into  the  valley,  which  arose  from  pur- 
suing hostile  Yosemite  Indians. 

About  nine  o'clock  p.m.,  while  seated  on  the 


THE    YOSEMITE    VALLEY. 


6l 


veranda,  we  viewed  one  of  the  most  romantic 
scenes  that  can  be  imagined.  The  moon, 
facing  the  falls,  rose  behind  the  craggy  peaks, 
and  in  all  the  majesty  of  her  silvery  sheen  lit  up 
the  falling  waters.  The  pure,  clear  air  brought 
out  every  shadow  of  the  sombre  pines ;  and,, 
chiselled  upon  the  view,  the  cathedral  spires 
stood  out  like  guardians  of  the  valley,  sentinels 
at  their  watch.  So  grand,  so  awe-inspiring, 
was  the  sight,  that  each  was  silent,  and  some 

recalled,  — 

"  Upon  such  a  night 
I  stood  within  the  Coliseum's  wall, 
Midst  the  chief  relics  of  almighty  Rome." 

I  can  remember  but  three  instances  during 
my  travels  that  compare  with  this,  —  one,  a 
sunrise  on  top  of  Mount  Washington  ;  another, 
my  first  glimpse  of  the  Matterhorn  with  the 
moon  rising  from  behind  it ;  and  lastly,  as  I 
now  recall  it,  a  summer's  night  on  Lago  del 
Como.  It  was  near  Bellagio.  The  old  ballroom 
of  the  chateau  fronting  the  lake,  which  a  mo- 
ment previous  had  resounded  with  gayety,  now 
lost  even  the  echo  of  the  whirling  dancers ;  the 
lights  burned  low  ;  musicians  all  departed  ;  and 
only  an  occasional  morsel  of  torn  tulle,  or  faded 
flower  ground  under  foot,  bore  witness  of  the 
gay  throng  which  but  a  moment  previous 
crowded  every  niche  of  the  old  baronial  hall. 


■!!f!!!l«tll«i 


62 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


As  three  of  us,  quietly  conversing  in  the  dark 
night,  sat  muffled  on  the  veranda  but  a  few 
feet  from  the  gHding  waters,  the  deep- toned 
bell  hanging  in  the  belfry  hard  by  began  to 
strike  the  midnight  hour ;  and,  as  the  last  vibra- 
tion was  trembling  away  on  the  breeze,  the 
clouds  bi»  Ke,  and  the  moon  shone  out  in  her 
cold  brilliancy,  bringing  out  every  object  on  the 
deep  waters.  At  that  instant,  upon  the  wind 
rose  the  sway  and  measure  of  a  dreamy  waltz, 
nearer  and  still  nearer,  until,  within  a  stone's 
throw,  a  gondola  floated  by,  an  Italian  girl  in 
the  stern  playing  the  zithern,  cheering  on  her 
Jover  as  he  swept  his  bark  along. 

The  Yosemite  Valley  is  one  of  the  few  things 
which  will  not  disappoint  you,  however  large 
your  expectations. 

For  an  accurate  description  I  cite  from  the 
work  of  Professor  J.  D.  Whitney,  State  geologist 
of  California,  which  was  published  by  the  Legis- 
lature. 

To  justly  estimate  the  description,  it  should 
be  kept  in  mind  that  the  bottom  of  the  valley 
is  about  a  mile  below  the  surrounding  country, 
and  3,950  feet  above  the  sea.  We  will  enter 
by  the  Coulterville  trail,  on  the  north  side  of  the 
Merced  River,  which  runs  through  the  valley. 
(See  map  facing  p.  69.) 


THE    YOSEMITE    VALLEY. 


"  The  valley  is  a  nearly  level  area,  about  six  miles 
in  length  and  about  half  a  mile  to  a  mile  in  width, 
sunk  almost  a  mile  in  perpendicular  depth  below  the 
general  level  of  the  adjacent  region. 

"  Either  the  domes  or  the  waterfalls  of  the  Yosem- 
ite,  or  any  single  one  of  them  even,  would  be  suffi- 
cient in  any  European  country  to  attract  travellers 
from  far  and  wide  in  all  directions.  Waterfalls  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  Yosemite,  surpassing  in  beauty  many 
of  those  best  known  and  most  visited  in  Europe,  are 
actually  left  entirely  unnoticed  by  travellers,  because 
there  are  so  many  other  objects  (if  interest  to  be 
visited  that  it  is  impossible  to  find  time  for  them 
all. 


"  Of  the  cliffs  around  the  valley,  El  Capitan  and 
the  Half  Dome  are  the  most  striking :  the  latter  is 
the  higher,  but  it  would  be  difficult  to  say  which 
conveys  to  the  mind  the  most  decided  impression  of 
grandeur  and  massiveness.  El  Capitan  is  an  immense 
block  of  granite,  projecting  squarely  out  into  the 
valley,  and  presenting  an  almost  vertical  sharp  edge, 
3,300  feet  in  elevation.  The  sides  or  walls  of  the 
mass  are  bare,  smooth,  and  entirely  destitute  of 
vegetation.  It  is  almost  impossible  for  the  observer 
to  comprehend  the  enormous  dimensions  of  this 
rock,  which  in  clear  weather  can  be  distinctly  seen 
from  the  San  Joaquin  plains,  at  a  distance  of  fifty 
or  sixty  miles. 


On  the  other  side   of  the  valley 'we   have  the 


«4 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


i  .• 


Bridal  Veil  Fall,  unquestionably  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  objects  in  the  Yosemitc.  It  is  formed  by 
the  creek  of  the  same  name,  which  rises  a  few  miles 
east  of  Empire  Camp,  runs  through  the  meadows  at 
Westfalls,  and  is  finally  precipitated  over  the  cliffs  on 
the  west  side  of  Cathedral  Rock,  into  the  Yosemite, 
in  one  leap  of  six  hundred  and  thirty  feet  perpendic- 
ular. The  water  strikes  here  on  a  sloping  pile  of 
debris,  down  which  it  rushes  in  a  series  of  cascades 
for  a  perpendicular  distance  of  nearly  three  hundred 
feet  more,  the  total  height  of  the  edge  of  the  fall 
above  the  meadow  at  its  base  being  nine  hundred 
feet.  The  effect  of  the  fall  as  everywhere  seen  from 
the  valley  is  as  if  it  were  nine  hundred  feet  in  ver- 
tical height ;  its  base  being  concealed  by  the  trees 
which  surround  it. 


"The  Virgin's  Tears  Creek,  on  the  other  side  of 
the  valley,  and  directly  opposite  the  Bridal  Veil 
makes  also  a  fine  fall,  over  a  thousand  feet  high,  in- 
cluded in  a  deep  recess  of  the  rocks  near  the  lower 
corner  of  El  Capitan. 


"From  near  the  foot  of  Sentinel  Rock,  looking 
directly  across  the  valley,  we  have  before  us  what 
most  persons  will  admit  to  be,  if  not  the  most  stu- 
pendous, at  least  the  most  attractive,  feature  of  the 
Yosemite  ;  namely,  the  Yosemite  Fall  par  excellence, 
that  one  of  all  :he  falls  about  the  valley  which  is 
best  entitled  to  bear  that  name.  The  finest  view  of 
this  fall  is  in  a  group  of  oaks  near  the  lower  hotel, 
from  which  point  the  various  parts  seem  most  thor- 


THE    YOSEMITE    VALLEY. 


65 


oughly  to  be  blended  into  one  whole  of  surprising 
attractiveness.  Even  the  finest  photograph  is,  how- 
ever, utterly  inadequate  to  convey  to  the  mind  any 
satisfactory  impression  or  realization  of  how  many  of 
the  elements  of  grandeur  and  beauty  are  combined 
in  this  waterfall,  and  its  surroundings  and  accesso- 
ries. The  first  and  most  impressive  of  these  ele- 
ments is,  as  in  all  other  objects  about  the  Yosemite, 
vertical  height.  In  this  it  surpasses,  it  is  believed, 
any  waterfall  in  the  world  with  any  thing  like  an 
equal  body  of  water.  .  .  .  The  vertical  height  of  the 
lip  of  the  fall  above  the  valley  is,  in  round  numbers, 
2,600  feet.' 

•  ••#••••• 

"  The  fall  is  not  in  one  perpendicular  sheet.  There 
is  first  a  vertical  descent  of  fifteen  hundred  feet,  when 
the  water  strikes  on  what  seems  to  be  a  projecting 
ledge,  but  which  in  reality  is  a  shelf  or  recess,  almost 
a  third  of  a  mile  back  from  the  front  of  the  lower  por- 
tion of  the  cliff.  From  here  the  water  finds  its  way, 
in  a  series  of  cascades,  down  a  descent  equal  to  six 
hundred  and  twenty-six  feet  perpendicular,  and  then 
gives  one  final  plunge  of  about  four  hundred  feet  on 
to  a  low  talus  of  rocks  at  the  base  of  the  precipice. 


"  One  of  the  most  striking  features  of  the  Yo- 
semite Fall  is  the  vibration  of  the  upper  portion  from 
one  side  to  the  other,  under  the  varying  pressure  of 
the  wind,  which  acts  with  immense  force  on  so  long 
a  column.    The  descending  mass  of  water  is  too  great 

'  The  great  Horseshoe  Fall  at  Niagara  is  but  154  feet  high  The 
fall  on  the  American  side  is  nine  feet  higher. 


66 


*    FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


to  allow  of  its  being  entirely  broken  up  into  spray  ; 
but  it  widens  out  very  much  to  the  bottom,  —  prob- 
ably to  as  much  as  three  hundred  feet  at  high  water, 
the  space  through  which  it  moves  being  fully  three 
times  as  wide.  This  vibratory  motion  of  the  Yose- 
mite  and  Bridal  Veil  Falls  is  something  peculiar,  and 
not  observed  in  any  others,  so  far  as  we  know ;  the 
effect  of  it  is  indescribably  grand,  especially  under 
the  magical  illumination  of  the  full  moon. 

"At  the  angle  where  the  Yosemite  branches,  we 
have,  on  the  north  side,  the  rounded  columnar  mass 
of  rocks  called  the  Washington  Column ;  and,  imme- 
diately to  the  left  of  it,  the  immense  arched  cavity 
called  the  '  Royal  Arches.'  Over  these  is  seen  the 
dome-shaped  ixass  called  the  North  Dome. 


"The  Half  Dome,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
Tenaya  Caflon,  is  the  loftiest  and  most  imposing 
mass  of  those  considered  as  part  of  the  Yosemite. 
It  is  not  so  high  as  Cloud's  Rest,  but  the  latter  seems 
rather  to  belong  to  the  Sierra  than  to  tlie  Yosemite. 
The  Half  Dome  is  in  sight  in  the  distance  as  we 
descend  the  Mariposa  trail,  but  it  is  not  visible  in 
the  lower  part  of  the  valley  itself :  it  is  seen  first 
when  we  come  to  the  meadow  opposite  Hutchings's. 
It  is  a  crest  of  granite  rising  to  the  height  of  4,737 
feet  above  the  valley,  seeming  perfectly  inaccessible, 
and  being  the  only  one  of  all  the  prominent  points 
about  the  Yosemite  which  has  never  been,  and  per 
haps  never  will  be,  trodden  by  human  foot.  It  has 
not  the  massiveness  of  El  Capitan,  but  is  more  aston- 


THE    YOSEMITE    VALLEY. 


67 


ishinp:,  and  probably  there  are  few  visitors  to  the 
vallej  who  would  not  concede  to  it  the  first  place  of 
all  the  wonders  of  the  region.  Even  the  most  casual 
observer  must  recognize  in  it  a  new  revelation  of 
mountain  grandeur  :  those  who  have  not  seen  it  could 
iiever  comprehend  its  extraordinary  form  and  propor- 
tions, not  even  with  the  aid  of  photographs. 


"The  first  fall  reached  in  ascending  the  cafion  is 
the  Vernal,  a  perpendicular  sheet  of  water  with  a 
descent  varying  greatly  with  the  season, 

"  From  the  Vernal  Fall,  up  stream,  for  the  dis- 
tance of  about  a  mile,  the  river  may  be  followed  ;  and 
it  presents  a  succession  of  cascades  and  rapids  of 
great  beauty.  As  we  approach  the  Nevada  Fall,  the 
last  great  one  of  the  Merced,  we  have  at  every  step 
something  new  and  impressive. 


"  The  Nevada  Fall  is,  in  every  respect,  one  of  the 
grandest  waterfalls  m  the  world,  whether  we  con- 
sider its  vertical  height,  the  purity  and  volume  of  the 
river  which  forms  it,  or  the  stupendous  scenery  by 
which  it  is  environed.  .  .  .  To  call  the  Vernal  four 
hundred  and  the  Nevada  six  hundred  feet,  in  round 
numbers,  will  be  near  enough  to  the  truth.  The 
descent  of  the  river  in  rapids  between  the  two  falls 
is  nearly  three  hundred  feet. 

"  The  elevation  of  the  bottom  of  the  valley  above 
the  sea-level  is,  from  a  combination  of  several  series 
of  observations,  3,950  feet.  Through  the  valley  flows 
the  Merced  River,  about  seventy  feet  in  width,  mak- 
ing many  sharp  and  curiously  angular  bends,  touch- 
ing the  t(i/iis  first  on  one  side  and  then  on  the  other."' 


68 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


^M 


This  valley  was  a  secret  fastness  of  the  Yo- 
semite  tribe  until  March,  1851,  when  it  was  dis- 
covered by  Major  Savage,  Dr.  Bunnell,  and 
their  party,  while  in  pursuit  of  hostile  Indians. 
It  was  once  a  favorite  resort  of  the  grizzly  bear, 
from  whence  its  name.  The  Major  had  five 
Indian  wives  at  one  time. 

There  are  two  ways  of  entering  the  .  a'l.'^y,  — 
one,  by  rail  to  Milton,  and  thence  by  stage  via 
Priest's  and  Crocker's,  in  which  case  you  enter 
by  the  Coulterville  trail  on  the  north  side  of  the 
Merced  River :  the  other  is  by  rail  to  Madera, 
th(^nce  by  stage  via  Clark's  ;  in  this  case  you 
enter  by  the  Mariposa  trail  on  the  south  side 
of  the  Merced.  The  Mariposa  way  is  much  the 
longer,  but  I  hear  that  the  stage  part  is  easier. 

After  visiting  the  Yosemite,  we  saw  the  high 
mountains  of  Alaska,  capped  with  eternal  snows 
and  mirrored  in  the  still  deep  waters  at  their 
base ;  the  lofty  castellated  cliffs  along  the  banks 
of  the  Columbia  River;  the  vast  Hoodoo  ranges; 
the  boiling  caldrons,  the  geysers,  the  falls  and 
canons,  in  the  Yellowstone  Park.  But  no 
scenery  comes  back  to  the  memory  with  such 
amazement  as  that  of  the  Yosemite  Valley,  and 
nothing  in  the  valley  seems  so  awfully  grand  as 
the  granite  walls  of  El  Capitan. 

The  air  of  the  valley  is  heavy  and  close ;  it 
seems  never  to  have  been  ventilated  :  and  the 
mosquitoes  are  of  the  most  vicious  kind. 


11 


THE   CALAVERAS  GROVES. 


69 


CHAPTER  IX. 

FROM  THE  YOSEMITE  TO  THE  CALAVERAS  GROVES. 

—  THE  BIG  TREES.  — NORTH  AND   SOUTH  GROVES. 

—  FISHING,  BEAR-HUNTING,   ETC. 

From  the  Yosemite  we  go  to  the  "  Big  Trees" 
of  Calaveras  County,  far  the  largest  of  all. 
They  are  north-west  from  the  valley,  and 
reached  by  Sonora  and  Murphy's,  as  seen  on 
the  map.  The  distance  is  many  miles,  and 
much  of  'he  road  is  rough.  It  is  partly  over 
the  same  road  by  whch  we  came  out,  and  takes 
two  days. 

At  Sonora,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ruthven,  who  had 
been  delightful  travelling  companions,  concluded 
to  abandon  a  journey  to  the  Trees,  and  return 
to  San  Francisco.  My  father  and  I  went  on 
alone. 

On  all  sides  we  encountered  signs  of  the 
gold-fever  of  1849,  —  soil  torn  up,  rocks  blast- 
ed, trees  uprooted,  green  pastures  devastated, 
streams  turned  from  their  course,  rich  land 
given  to  aridness ;  pastures,  wheat-crops,  fruit, 
vineyards,  all  set  aside  by  the  golden  dreams 


8|1 

it 

I' 
i 

HI 


70 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


of  sudden  wealth.  As  we  sped  along,  glancing 
at  the  mining  operations  either  in  full  sway,  or 
at  the  machinery  left  deserted  for  lack  of 
means,  —  here  and  there  were  Chinamen  slui- 
cing, or  the  lonely  "  prospector,"  with  his  rifle 
and  solitary  dog,  seeking  his  rich  "  pocket,"  or 
sounding  for  a  vein ;  now  and  then  coming 
upon  an  hydraulic  company  tearing  down  the 
hills  with  their  powerful  stream  ;  and  not  far  off 
the  poorer  "■placer  miner,"  —  we  thought  of  the 
remark  of  Senator  Jones  of  Nevada,  who  said 
to  father  one  day,  "  Every  dollar  of  gold  which 
California  has  produced,  in  general  average, 
cost  three  to  get  it."  The  truth  of  this  estimate 
can  be  realized  when  we  consider  the  useless 
shafts  whi„h  have  been  sunk,  the  vast  amount 
of  machinery  which  proved  of  no  value,  the 
millions  of  days'  labor  which  were  fruitless,  and 
the  millions  of  dollars  which  were  spent  in 
mining  explorations  which  yielded  no  return. 
But  several  miners  who  had  been  prospecting 
and  digging  for  thirty  years,  and  were  still  po//f, 
told  us,  that,  with  all  the  hard  labor  and  priva- 
tion, there  was  a  pleasure  in  the  hone  of  great 
luck  that  never  ceased  to  lure  iLcm  on,  in  spite 
of  so  many  years  of  disappointment.  Gold- 
mining  and  gambling  are  not  unlike. 

The  Chinamen,  accustomed  to  their  irrigated 
rice-fields,  and  being  already  inured  to  the  ex- 


Wl-.,'. 


tu;*  ■■'. 


I 


THE   CALAVERAS   GROVES. 


71 


posure  of  v/ading,  rank  among  the  best  miners 
on  the  coast,  their  endurance  being  remarkable  ; 
and  as  one  watches  them  cHmbing  the  hills 
with  their  long,  swinging  walk,  you  can  easily 
appreciate  their  usefulness  as  soldiers,  capable 
of  undergoing  forced  marches  under  a  burning 
sun.  The  placer  Chinaman  derives  from  his 
washing,  under  the  best  circumstances,  some 
two  dollars  a  day,  out  of  which  their  largest  ex- 
penditure is  for  opium,  the  Chinaman's  scourge. 
This  deadly  narcotic  they  sometimes  chew  in 
the  mines,  claiming  that  its  use  exhilarates, 
and  enables  them  to  undergo  the  unceasing 
toil  of  their  vocation.  The  washing  for  dust  is 
nearly  all  done  by  this  race ;  Americans  actually 
being  expelled  from  their  original  occupation 
by  this  strange  people,  whose  chief  food,  rice, 
they  buy  at  a  low  price  from  their  own  mer- 
chants, and,  their  systems  being  habituated  to 
living  without  meat,  their  visits  to  a  "  Bignon," 
Delmonico's,  or  "  Lion  d'Or,"  are  naturally 
very  rare.  Ordinary  linen-wasiiing  they  have 
also  brought  to  such  a  low  rate,  through  their 
economical  way  of  living,  that  none  others  can 
compete  ;  and  thus,  as  is  generally  known,  they 
have  almost  a  complete  monopoly  of  this 
business. 

Our  driver  informed  us  concerning  the  wages 
which  experienced  "whips"  get  on  the  road. 


72 


I'ROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


fiff  ' 


I  111 


Their  salaries  average  from  sixty  dollars  to 
eighty  dollars  a  month  for  four  and  six  horse 
stages,  drivers  of  ordinary  vehicles  receiving 
some  thirty  dollars  to  forty  dollars.  These  fel- 
lows are  old  veterans,  knowing  every  turn  on 
the  road ;  and  the  two  or  three  hundred  miles 
which  their  duty  sends  them  over  is  what  the 
"Mississippi  panorama"  was  aforetime  to  the 
old  pilots,  in  which  every  snag  and  shoal  was  as 
clearly  placed  and  marked,  in  their  minds,  as 
the  signals  are  now  to  an  engineer  on  the  rail- 
road. Occasionally  we  noticed  that  five  horses 
were  used  before  a  stage,  three  of  them  lead- 
ers, and  two  wheelers.  We  found,  that,  on 
crooked  roads,  five  pulled  fully  as  much  as  six, 
the  two  leaders  of  the  latter  number  being 
hardly  serviceable  for  abrupt  turns ;  but,  in  a 
straight  course,  six  were  capable  of  dragging 
more  than  five. 

We  met  numerous  wagons  heaped  up  with 
dirt  going  to  be  "washed  out;"  and  ascertained 
that  four  bits  (fifty  ct-nts)  was  calculated  as  the 
profit  upon  each  load.  Companies  or  private 
individuals  frequently  start  water-works  for 
washing,  au'  1  mills  for  quartz-crushing,  at  fixed 
rates  ;  and  thus  even  here  chances  for  studying 
political  economy  are  afforded. 

We  passed  several  nests  of  the  poisonous 
tarantula,  with  their  neatly  constructed  houses. 


THE   CALAVERAS  GROVES. 


73 


Crossing  in  the  chain-ferry  propelled  by  the 
current,  we  met  on  the  other  side  a  madwoman, 
who  greatly  amused  us  by  her  fire  of  invectives, 
hurlin^^  anathemas  at  all  the  world,  decrying 
the  general  belief  in  a  future  life,  and  pointing 
out  with  immense  cunning  the  weakness  of  our 
public  men. 

On  the  20th  of  June  we  reached  the  "Trees," 
and  found  an  excellent  hotel  in  the  very  grove. 
It  is  kept  by  Mr.  J.  L.  Sperry,  a  man  of  excel- 
lent good  sense,  who  understands  his  business. 
He  owns  the  grove,  and  the  South  Grove  also. 
The  climate  here  is  charming ;  the  air  delight- 
fully cool,  clear,  and  elastic.  This  grove  con- 
tains ninety-three  large  trees,  and  many  small 
ones.  You  cannot  conceive  the  impression 
which  these  will  make  until  you  have  seen 
them,  and,  climbing  the  ladders  which  rest  upon 
several  of  the  fallen  trunks,  you  walk  over  their 
vast  bulk,  and  look  down  to  the  ground  some 
thirty  feet  below  you. 

There  is  great  diversity  of  statement  as  to 
their  size.  The  account  published  by  Mr. 
Whitney,  ten  years  ago,  makes  the  tallest 
standing  tree  three  hundred  and  twenty-five 
feet  high  and  forty-five  feet  in  circumference ; 
he  calls  this  the  "  Keystone  State."  One,  called 
*'  Starr  King,"  he  reports  as  fifty-two  feet  in  cir- 
cumference and  two  hundred  and  eighty-three 


!i 


74 


FROM  /'VFT/f  AVENUE    TO   ALASKA. 


feet  high.  Surely  there  is  some  mistake  In  the 
print,  or  error  in  the  measurements,  or  else 
a  confusion  of  names.  Later,  Professor  C.  T. 
Jackson  in  1857  measured  the  "Starr  King," 
and  found  it  three  hundred  and  sixty-six  feet 
high.  The  Mother  of  the  Forest  has  its  bark 
off  up  to  the  height  of  a  hundred  and  sixteen 
feet.  The  bark  thus  removed  was  set  up  at 
Sydenham  Palace,  where  it  was  burned  many 
years  ago.  This  tree  is  reported  in  Mr.  Whit- 
ney's book  to  be  three  hundred  and  fifteen  feet 
high  and  sixty-one  feet  in  circumference.  The 
Whitney  measurement  was  made  six  feet  above 
the  ground,  and  where  the  bark  had  been  re- 
moved. It  should  be  noted  that  these  trees 
have  no  tap-root :  they  are  considerably  fluted, 
like  the  cedar ;  they  flare  a  good  deal  at  the 
base,  and  the  bark  near  the  bottom  is  from 
nineteen  to  twenty-three  inches  thick ;  it  is 
of  a  reddish-brown  color,  soft  and  fibrous,  like 
the  outer  shuck  of  a  cocoanut.  Professor  Jack- 
son makes  this  tree  three  hundred  and  twenty- 
seven  feet  high.  One  of  its  roots,  five  feet 
from  the  tree,  measures  nearly  nine  feet  in  cir- 
cumference. There  is  much  room  for  honest 
difference  regarding  the  height  of  the  standing 
trees ;  but  none  where  the  trees  have  lately 
fallen,  and  none  as  to  the  circumference  of  any 
one.     On  the  24th  of  June  we   measured  the 


THE   CALAVERAS  GROVES. 


75 


"Old  Dominion,"  which  fell  in  April,  1882,  and 
it  is  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long.  Another 
fallen  tree  is  "  Hercules,"  vhich  fell  in  1862. 
It  measured  three  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet 
long,  and  ninety-seven  around  the  base. 

In  1853,  the  next  year  after  the  grove  was 
discovered,  some  vandals,  with  the  mistaken 
idea  that  they  could  make  money  by  exhibiting 
sections  of  it,  cut  down  one  of  the  largest  trees. 
Neither  saws  nor  axes  could  effect  their  object, 
but  the  tree  was  felled  by  boring  it  through 
and  through  with  pump-augers  and  driving- 
wedges  on  one  side.  It  took  five  men  twenty- 
five  days  to  accomplish  this  unpardonable  de- 
vastation. This  tree  at  the  base  measures 
ninety-  two  feet  in  circumference.  Its  rings 
proved  that  it  had  been  growing  at  least  thir- 
teen hundred  years.  Some  of  the  "  Big  Trees" 
are  believed  to  be  over  two  thousand  years  old  ; 
less  old,  I  believe,  than  some  of  the  old  yew- 
trees  of  England.  One  of  the  finest  trees  is 
the  "  Empire  State,"  ninety-four  feet  in  circum- 
ference. The  "  Father  of  the  Forest,"  having 
fallen  long  before  the  forest  was  discovered, 
has  given  rise  to  much  controversy.  Hittell, 
in  his  "  Resources  of  California,"  says  that  it 
must  have  been  four  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
high,  and  forty  feet  in  diameter ;  but  Professor 
Whitney   discredits   this   estimate.      A   hollow 


76 


I'ROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


burnt  -  out  cavity  extends  through  the  trunk 
about  two  hundred  feet,  large  enough  for  a 
man  to  ride  through  on  horseback.  The  "  Fallen 
Monarch  "  is  believed  to  show  proof,  from  the 
surrounding  trees,  that  he  fell  much  more  than  a 
hundred  years  ago  ;  and  is  chiefly  interesting  as 
proof  of  the  lasting  qualities  of  the  wood,  much 
of  it  being  perfectly  sound. 

The  morning  after  arrival  at  Sperry's  hotels 
I  went  trout  -  fishing,  with  Andrew  Jackson 
Smith  as  my  guide.  This  man  became  my  es- 
pecial admiration, —  a  brave  and  honest  man: 
his  like  I  have  never  seen.  I  will  try  to  present 
him.  Conceive  a  man  six  foot  two,  with  broad 
shoulders,  but  gaunt,  lear,  long-armed,  narrow 
head,  and  Roman  nose,  mouth  and  teeth  like  a 
gray  squirrel  as  he  gnaws  a  nut ;  hair  and  beard 
long,  yellow,  and  untrimmed,  an  immense  strag- 
gling imperial,  which  he  occasionally  twisted  in 
his  hand ;  eyes  of  a  yellowish-gray,  small  ami 
calm,  honest,  and  near  together ;  fingers  ver\ 
long  and  bony ;  hands  and  face  tanned  the 
brown  color  of  his  overall  clothes  ;  his  legs  very 
long  and  sinewy,  ending  in  coarse  heavy  boots  ; 
and  on  the  back  of  his  narrow  head  a  battered 
old  drab  sombrero  hat :  add  to  this  a  fearless 
mien  and  a  kindly  voice,  and  you  have  before 
you  the  old  trapper,  whom  I  heartily  commend 
to  any  one  who  needs  the  services  of  a  skilled 
fisherman  and  a  trustworthy  guide. 


\ 


I 


THE  CALAVERAS  GROVES. 


77 


In  the  early  morning.  June  20,  Smith  and 
I  started  alone,  on  our  horses,  for  the  trout- 
streams.  He  cocked  his  smashed  hat  on  one 
side,  and  mounted,  taking  the  fish-l^askct  con- 
taining our  lunch,  and  each  of  us  had  our  rods. 
Over  hill  and  mountain,  across  the  Stanislaus 
River,  —  which,  although  containing  the  largest 
trout,  was  still  too  high,  —  "  loping"  down  the 
hills,  passing  at  intervals  the  beautiful  fresh  ice- 
plant,  which  springs  up  as  the  snow  disappears, 
and  then  as  soon  fades  away  at  the  approach 
of  hot  weather.  1  rode  a  Mexican  broncho; 
that  is,  a  pony  trained  for  the  lariat  and  lasso- 
ing steers.  Smith  gave  me  a  lesson  in  picking 
up  a  handkerchief  when  at  full  gallop,  and  in 
picking  up  coin  from  the  ground,  —  which  feat, 
owing  to  the  Spanish  way  of  securely  cinching 
a  horse,  may  be  accomplished  :  the  English  way 
of  fastening  the  girth  of  the  pig-skin  saddle 
makes  the  chances  of  its  turning  too  great  for 
safety,  especially  as  there  is  no  horn  to  hang  to 
while  lowering  one's  self  to  the  ground.  The 
Mexicans  all  over  the  West  have  various  ways 
of  exhibiting  their  skill ;  one  favorite  amuse- 
ment being  "  chicken-pulling."  A  hen  or  cock 
is  firmly  embedded  in  the  earth,  leaving  nothing 
but  its  head  stretching  itself  in  all  directions : 
our  Mexican  competitor  rides  off  a  short  dis- 
tance, and  then  dashing  forward  at  full  gallop 


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FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO   ALASKA. 


lowers  himself  from  his  seat,  and  seizes,  if  he 
be  so  fortunate,  the  neck  and  head,  and  tears 
it  from  the  body  ;  though,  of  course,  like  "  tent- 
pegging"  in  England  and  India,  there  are  more 
misses  than  wins,  for  its  accomplishment  needs 
a  perfectly  trained  horse,  and  steady  nerve. 
After  some  serious  up-hill  climbing,  we  reached 
"  Grouse  Spring,"  so  called  by  Smith  one  year 
when  out  deer  -  hunting,  on  seeing  twenty-six 
grouse  roosting  in  a  big  pine  which  overshad- 
ows the  water. 

My  companion  entertained  me  with  various 
interesting  stories,  and  impressed  me,  as  his 
reputation  afterwards  confirmed,  with  a  feeling 
that  he  was  not  telling  the  usual  hunters'  yarns 
■with  which  these  old  characters  like  to  arouse 
the  wonderment  of  "  tender-feet."  Having 
killed  several  "grizzlies"  during  his  life,  he 
considered  the  following  rules  the  most  reliable 
guide  for  their  slaughter.  These  rules  have 
been  approved  by  many  camp-fire  hunters :  I 
here  give  them  for  the  bene^t  of  those  desirous 
of  some  day  possessing  a  necklace  of  claws  :  — 

1st,  Do  not  attempt  to  kill  a  grizzly  by  the 
first  shot  unless  he  charges  you,  and  the  need 
of  shooting  be  inevitable  :  then  aim  directly  for 
the  centre  of  his  breast,  sighting  a  little  patch 
of  grizzly,  wiry  hair  always  visible. 

2d,  Wait,  if  possible,  until  the  bear  is  going 


THE   CALAVERAS  GROVES. 


79 


away  from  you,  as  the  chances  of  your  getting 
in  a  couple  of  bullets  before  he  sees  you  are 
much  more  likely. 

3d,  Duii't  imagine,  that,  like  other  beasts  or 
animals,  shooting  a  grizzly  through  even  the 
very  core  of  the  heart  necessarily  prevents  him 
from  having  strength  to  kill  three  men  before 
death. 

4th,  Aim  a  few  inches  above  die  top  of  the 
shoulder,  just  under  the  spinal  column:  this  will 
shatter  and  so  cripple  his  fore-legs,  and  impede 
his  progress,  as  to  enable  you  to  get  in  with 
safety  enough  lead  to  finally  stop  his  career. 

5th,  A  ball  precisely  placed  in  the  brain  will 
almost  always  cause  instant  death  ;  but  as,  when 
the  bear  moves,  he  continually  swings  his  snout 
from  side  to  side,  and  is  never  still,  if  the  man 
be  not  a  quick  shot  and  a  dead  shot,  it  were 
better,  unless  in  imminent  danger,  to  leave  the 
mark  unattempted,  especially  since  the  retreat- 
ing formation  of  the  bear's  skull,  when  facing 
him,  render  the  chances  great  that  the  bullet 
will  glance  off. 

Smith  agrees  with  the  many  other  authorities 
consulted,  that  a  grizzly  will  not  attack  unless 
you  are  directly  in  his  trail,  or  unless  it  be  a 
she-one  with  cubs.  Grizzlies,  like  other  bears, 
prefer  flight,  and  will  do  their  utmost  to  avoid 
a  conflict ;  but  let  them  once  feel  lead,  and  no 


pr^T- 


i    I  ' 


80 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


animal  on  earth  can  equal  them  in  point  of 
ferocity,  or  tenacity  of  life. 

The  Indian  tiger  is  generally  pursued  on  a 
houdah,  or  "  pad  elephant ; "  and  the  African 
lion,  when  shot  through  the  heart,  is  much 
inferior  in  power  to  the  dreaded  "  grizzly." 
Livingstone,  in  his  book  on  Africa,  corrobo- 
rates the  many  authorities  with  respect  to  the 
folly  of  making  the  lion  the  king  of  beasts,  if 
regard  be  paid  to  courage  ;  and  goes  on  to  say 
that  his  roar,  when  heard  at  a  distance  from  a 
camp-fire,  can  hardly  be  distinguished  from  an 
ostrich's  "  trumpeting."  Jules  Gerard,  the  lion- 
hunter,  in  his  interesting  work,  plainly  shows 
how  a  well-directed  ball  through  the  heart,  given 
behind  the  fore-shoulder,  will  generally  produce 
instant  death,  or,  at  all  events,  lay  low  this 
so-called  "  king  of  animals."  His  title  is  de- 
rived more  from  his  massive  head,  with  its  mag- 
nificent wealth  of  mane,  than  from  intense 
courage.  As  regards  the  "cinnamon,"  au- 
thors, and  those  old  hunters  whom  I  have  con- 
sulted, seem,  to  concur,  that,  although  equal  in 
ferocity,  it  lacks  the  "grizzly's"  power  of  sur- 
viving wounds,  and  dealing  death  in  his  last 
embrace. 

One  method  of  escape  has  been  adopted  by 
old  hunters  occasionally  with  success ;  namely, 
by  running  straight  along  a  steep  hillside.     The 


i 


THE   CALAVERAS  GROVES. 


81 


bear  rarely  runs  in  a  straight  line ;  and  this 
peculiarity,  combined  with  his  great  weight,  pre- 
vents his  retaining  his  balance  on  a  slope ;  and 
this  has  occasionally  saved  a  man's  life.  As 
regards  the  climbing  of  trees,  although  the 
report  is  circulated  that  the  "  grizzly,"  from  the 
length  and  form  of  his  immense  claws,  alone 
of  the  bear  tribe,  cannot  ascend  a  tree,  this  is 
true  only  of  those  trees  entirely  bereft  of  limbs 
within  his  reach,  or  whose  branches  are  so  weak 
as  to  give  way  beneath  his  great  weight.  The 
cubs  can  run  up  a  smooth  trunk  as  easily  as  a 
cat,  by  the  aid  of  their  claws. 

Revenons  a  nos  motitons.  We  dismounted 
on  the  bank  of  our  little  stream,  unsaddled,  un- 
bridled, and  tethered  our  ponies,  jointed  the 
poles,  rigged  the  lines,  arid  took  our  first  throw, 
one  using  a  brown  hackle,  the  other  a  black 
gnat,  a.ttached  to  six-foot  leaders.  The  bottom 
being  very  clean  sand  with  many  bowlders  dot- 
ting the  bed,  we  fished  down  stream,  there 
being  from  these  causes  not  much  danger  of 
roiling  the  "  riffles "  in  which  the  greater 
part  of  our  casting  was  done.  The  "  white 
miller"  is  used  in  this  region,  especially  towards 
nightfall ;  but  we  found,  during  the  day,  neutral- 
tinted  flies  with  dark  bodies  were  the  most 
catching.  Beginning  at  nine,  hour  after  hour 
we  crawled  and  slipped   over  huge  rocks,   or 


\ 

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82 


FHOA/  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


waded  up  to  our  waists  in  the  water,  over 
ground  so  rough  that  visitors  had  as  yet  left  it 
untouched.  The  bushes  on  either  side  grew 
to  the  water's  edge,  and  made  bank  casting 
impossible.  We  left  off  at  four,  with  sixty-nine 
slashed  red  trout  somewhat  less  speckled  than 
Eastern  spotted  fish,  but  fully  as  gamey. 

My  finest  day's  lake-trout  fishing  was  on 
Lough  Corrib  in  Ireland,  close  to  Cong,  twenty 
miles  north  of  Galway,  during  1879.  We  used 
an  otter,  whose  use  is  the  worst  kind  of  poach- 
ing. Directions :  Take  a  piece  of  wood,  half- 
moon  in  form ;  attach  through  its  centre  a 
strong  line,  some  thirty  feet  in  length ;  and  all 
along,  at  intervals  of  four  feet,  allow  six  other 
lines  with  leaders  and  flies  to  dribble  over  the 
surface.  After  paying  out  this  species  of  di- 
minutive seine  from  the  boat,  keep  up  a  regular 
slow  stroke,  having  due  regard  to  the  wind's 
direction  ;  fasten  your  end  to  the  boa:,  and 
await  results.  With  this  deadly  contrivance,  on 
this  lonely  and  wild  lake,  we  captured  in  two 
hours  some  twenty  large  trout,  averaging  three 
pounds,  besides  others  caught  trolling  with  a 
ten-foot  rod  and  spinning  live  bait,  the  small 
chub  being  cleverly  fastened  to  a  "gang"  of  six 
hooks. 

On  the  23d  of  June,  in  company  with  a  very 
interesting  young  lady.  Miss  H ,  we  rode 


L- 


I 


THE   CALAVERAS  GROVES. 


8J 


to  the  South  Grove,  which  is  six  or  seven  miles 
distant  There  is  only  a  bridle-path,  and  that 
is  a  steep  and  stony  trail.  We  have  to  cross 
the  Stanislaus  River.  This  grove  also  belongs 
to  Mr.  Sperry,  who  has  there  more  than  a  thou- 
sand acres.  This  grove  contains  1,380  large 
trees. 

The  "Massachusetts"  measures  at  the  base 
a  hundred  feet  in  circumference,  and  is  said  to 
be  three  hundred  and  eighty  feet  high. 

The  "  Ohio  "  has  a  base  circumference  of  a 
hundred  and  four  feet,  and  is  said  to  be  three 
hundred  and  twenty-eight  feet  high. 

The  "  New  York"  is  a  hundred  and  six  feet 
in  circumference,  and  three  hundred  and  forty 
feet  high. 

"  Cyclops,"  a  live  tree,  has  a  burnt  cavity  at 
its  base,  in  which  twenty-four  men,  each  on 
horseback,  are  said  to  have  been  at  the  same 
time.  We  cannot  say  how  true  this  statement 
is,  but  it  did  not  seem  impossible. 

The  "  Palace  Hotel"  is  a  hundred  feet  in  cir- 
cumference, with  a  burnt-out  cavity  of  fifteen 
feet  in  diameter  and  ninety  feet  high ;  and  yet 
the  tree  is  alive. 

"  Old  Goliath  "  is  a  fallen  tree.  It  measures 
at  the  base  a  hundred  and  five  feet  in  circum- 
ference, and  measures,  as  it  lies,  two  hundred 
and  eighty-one  feet.     It  is  easy  to  tell  the  size  : 


I 


. 


«4 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO   ALASKA. 


W  .' 


ill 


a  limb  alone  measures  twelve  feet  in  circum- 
ference. This  tree  has  its  bark  all  perfect.  It 
retains  its  vast  size  longer  than  any  fallen  tree 
we  have  seen.  As  you  ascend,  and  walk  over 
its  huge  bulk,  you  form  some  conception  of 
its  size,  and  you  can  hardly  believe  that  it  is 
indeed  a  tree.  Its  magnitude  impresses  you 
more  than  that  of  any  standing  or  fallen  of 
these  giants  of  the  forest. 

Near  by  is  a  living  tree  called  "  Smith's 
■Cabin,"  named  after  the  old  trapper.  He  was 
our  guide  on  the  visit  to  these  trees,  and  on 
the  ground  gave  us  the  particulars  of  his  ad- 
ventures. In  reply  to  the  question  from  what 
State  he  came,  he  said:  — 

"  I  came  out  of  a  wooden-nutmeg  machine 
in  Hartford  County,  Conn.  I  got  the  mining- 
fever  early ;  and  I  came  to  California,  and  went 
to  diggin'  gold.  I  rather  liked  the  business, 
though  it  was  hard  work.  I  had  no  luck,  didn't 
make  much,  and  lost  that ;  then  went  to  trap- 
ping, and  sold  what  I  could  shoot  to  the  miners. 
I  lived  in  that  'ere  tree  two  years ;  nobody  near. 
It  was  rather  lonesome  at  night.  I  read  some : 
had  a  horse,  my  dog  and  gun ;  they  all  slept 
with  me  in  that  'ere  tree.  It  was  rather  a  hard 
row  of  stumps.  I  tried  to  get  this  grove  by 
pre-emption,  squatting,  and  improving.  I  had 
an  axe,  and  built  a  strong  shanty  here;   but 


THE   CALAVERAS   GROVES. 


85 


somehow  I  didn't  enter  any  claims  accordin'  to 
law,  and  was  cheated  out  of  it  —  hard  row  o' 
stumps  out  here,  without  any  thing  to  pay  law- 
yers. But  I  am  contented  ;  have  had  a  fine 
time  ;  never  cheated  nobody.  At  night,  when 
the  wind  blowed,  rather  lonesome  sometimes 
with  only  dog  and  horse.  One  night  there  was 
a  terrible  gale  ;  trees  were  constantly  coming 
down,  and  I  didn't  dare  go  out  of  my  old  tree. 
Finally  this  Old  Goliath  came  down,  and  shook 
all  round  like  an  earthquake.  I  was  a  little 
scared  ;  knew  I  could  not  help  it,  and  hoped 
my  old  tree  would  weather  the  storm.  It  did, 
and  stands  there  now." 

The  hollow  part  of  Smith's  Tree  is  sixteen  by 
twenty-one  feet,  plenty  large  for  a  man,  horse, 
and  dog.  All  these  oldest  trees  have  suffered 
from  fire,  and  men  of  science  say  that  "Old 
Goliath "  is  at  least  two  thousand  years  old. 
Their  great  age  is  evinced  also  by  the  sugar- 
pines,  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high  and 
twenty  feet  in  circumference,  growing  near  by, 
and  showing  no  signs  of  fire.  The  great  trees 
are  akin  to  the  redwood,  and  resemble  cedar. 
Being  resinous  at  the  heart,  they  burn  long, 
and  many  of  the  older  ones  are  hollowed  out 
by  fire,  and  yet  not  dead. 

Smith  discoursed  quite  indignantly  upon  the 
depredation  which  the  Chinamen  were  making 


I 


86 


FROM  FIFTH  AVFINUE    TO  ALASKA. 


upon  the  white  miners,  —  how  one  Celestial, 
somewhat  better  than  the  majority  of  his  crea- 
tures, would  get  in  his  employ  six  or  a  dozen, 
and  send  them  over  the  country  prospecting 
for  gold  :  if  one  happened  to  strike  a  rich  vein,, 
he  immediately  collected  and  centred  all  upon 
this  one  spot.  Smith,  himself  an  old  miner  of 
1849,  protested,  and  declared  this  to  be  entirely 
against  the  general  tenor  of  the  unwritten  min- 
ing law,  that  man  should  be  in  this  state  of 
serfdom. 

Our  guide,  so  accustomed  to  wandering  in 
the  loneliness  of  unbroken  forest,  who  in  this 
very  grove  had  spent  two  years  in  the  trunk  of 
a  tree,  and  whose  years  rolled  by  regardless 
of  railroads,  suspension-bridges,  telephones,  and 
Panama  Canals,  spending  weeks  in  the  wilder- 
ness with  no  friend  but  his  mongrel  deer-hound,, 
and  an  old  muzzle-loading  rifle,  —  the  poor  old 
fellow,  feeling  that  he  had  been  always  honest, 
gave  vent  to  the  expression,  "  Ah,  sir !  when 
you  are  unaccustomed  to  the  treachery  of  the 
world,  honest  men  find  life  a  hard  row  of 
stumps."  Like  most  of  those  we  met,  he  was 
vehement  in  his  denouncement  of  the  Indian  ; 
and  he  told  us  how  the  very  redskins  to  whom 
he  had  been  so  kind,  broke  into  his  cabin  in 
the  tree  one  day  during  his  absence  on  a  deer- 
hunt,  and  stole  the   few  possessions  which,  to 


THE   CALAVERAS  GROVES. 


87 


,a  poor  trapper,  are  his  all,  —  kettle,  axe,  and 
saucepan. 

The  Mariposa  Grove,  sixteen  miles  south  of 
the  Yosemite  Valley,  contains ,  a  large  number 
of  splendid  trees ;  none  so  high  by  more  than 
fifty  feet  as  some  of  the  Calaveras  trees,  but, 
according  to  Professor  Whitney,  of  larger  cir- 
cumference. No  trees  of  this  kind  have  been 
found  outside  of  California,  or  even  north  of 
the  Calaveras  Grove.  According  to  Dr.  Miiller, 
the  eminent  botanist,  the  eucalyptus  has  been 
found  in  Australia  four  hundred  and  eighty  feet 
high,  but  no  one  so  large  around  as  the  largest 
of  the  California  trees.  These  trees  are  named 
Sequoia  gigantea,  after  a  Cherokee  Indian  chief 
■of  half  blood  who  invented  an  alphabet  for  his 
tribe.  These  trees  were  first  discovered  in  the 
Calaveras  forest,  in  the  spring  of  1852,  by  Mr. 
A.  T.  Dowd,  a  hunter,  while  in  pursuit  of  a 
wounded  bear.  His  statement  no  one  at  first 
believed.  In  1853  Dr.  Findlay  published  a  de- 
scription of  this  tree  in  Gardner's  "  Chronicle  of 
London,"  and  called  il;  Wellingtonia  gigantea. 
In  1854  eminent  botanists  concluded  that  the 
•Californian  redwood  was  of  the  same  genus  as 
"the  "  Big  Trees,"  and  this  species  was  by  them 
named  Sequoia  gigantea.  The  redwood,  so 
abundant  and  so  valuable  for  timber,  grows 
along  the  Coast  Rang(i  from  36°  to  42°.     Near 


1 


88 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA, 


Santa  Cruz  is  a  growth  of  great  beauty,  in 
which  is  a  tree  fifty-six  feet  in  circumference 
and  two  hundred  and  seventy-five  feet  high. 
Professor  Whitney  supposes  that  there  are 
many  redwoods  from  two  hundred  and  fifty-one 
to  three  hundred  feet  high.  Their  wood,  Hke 
that  of  the  "  Big  Trees,"  is  of  reddish  color, 
hard,  strong,  and  enduring. 

On  the  road  before  reachinj?-  the  Yosemite 
Valley,  we  drive  through  the  liody  of  the 
"  Dead  Giant,"  a  sequoia  tree.  It  is  dead,  and 
most  of  the  outside  has  been  burned  away  ;  and 
yet  of  the  solid  wood  there  is  left  a  trunk  whose 
diameter  is  about  thirty  feet.  A  roadway  ten 
feet  wide  and  twelve  feet  high  is  cut  through 
the  firm  wood,  and  coaches  with  four  horses 
daily  drive  through  the  old  giant  tree.  Mr. 
Hutchings,  tne  guardian  of  the  Yosemite  Val- 
ley, told  us,  that,  after  careful  investigation,  he 
was  satisfied  that  when  the  bark  was  on,  and 
before  fires  had  reduced  the  trunk,  the  tree  was 
forty-two  feet  in  diameter. 

The  Yosemite  Valley  and  the  Mariposa 
Grove  are  a  reservation,  given  by  the  United 
States  to  the  State  of  California  to  be  forever 
preserved. 

Last  August,  while  approaching  the  Yosem- 
ite by  the  Mariposa  trail,  a  stage-coach  was 
stopped  by  armed  robbers,  and  each  person  was 
robbed  of  every  thing  he  had  about  him. 


I 


W"'V-»i  i.v'^Jim-'uv'l  «■  'M.miv 


THE   CALAVERAS  GROVES. 


89 


In  the  afternoon  of  the  24th.  Mr.  Sperry 
kindly  sent  us  in  his  private  carriage  twenty 
miles  through  the  pine-woods  to  Murphy's, 
where  we  were  to  take  the  stage  in  the  early 
morning  for  Milton.  On  our  drive  we  saw 
large  numbers  of  jack-rabbits  feeding  in  the 
fields,  often  rising  on  thi;ir  long  hind-legs,  and 
liftinor  their  immense  ears.  A  larcfe  wildcat 
crossed  the  road,  and  scuttled  away  into  the 
woods. 

We  took  the  rail,  and  lunched  at  Stockton, 
reaching  San  Francisco  at  seven  o'clock  the 
25th  of  June,  after  sixteen  hours  of  dusty 
travel. 

It  takes  twelve  days  to  fairly  visit  the  Yosem- 
ite  and  the  "Big  Trees"  and  return  to  San 
Francisco. 

During  vhis  trip  we  saw  mining  enough, — 
placer -vciwiwi^,  quartz,  and  hydraulic  mining 
also  ;  and  we  saw  the  many  acres  that  had  been 
dug  over  by  toilsome  hands  in  pursuit  of  gold  : 
wherever  that  was  done,  barrenness  appeared* 


n 


::ll 


90 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE   TO  ALASKA. 


CHAPTER  X. 


RETURN  TO  SAN  FRANCISCO.  — THE   CLIMATE.  — PUB- 
Lie   AND   PRIVATE   BUILDINGS,  ETC. 

On  the  25  th  of  June  we  returned  to  San 
Francisco,  and  were  again  at  the  Palace  Hotel. 
The  climate  is  peculiar,  a  sea-fog  every  morn- 
ing which  clears  off  before  noon,  revealing  a 
warm  sun :  this  is  soon  followed  by  a  wind 
from  the  ocean,  which  is  cold ;  there  is  scarce 
a  summer  day  in  which  you  do  not  need  an 
overcoat  if  you  drive  out.  But  for  the  dust  (as 
there  is  no  summer  rain)  it  would  be  a  charm- 
ing climate,  and  it  is  an  attractive  place  as  it  is. 
There  are  more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  inhabitants,  made  up  of  every  nation- 
ality. The  streets  are  well  lighted,  partly  with 
electric  light :  they  are  generally  wide,  and  the 
architecture  is  very  imposing.  The  Palace 
Hotel  is  very  high,  occupies  an  entire  block, 
and  is  built  around  a  spacious  court  into  which 
carriages  are  driven,  after  the  style  of  the 
Grand  Hotel  in  Paris.  There  are  several  other 
magnificent   hotels   and   public   buildings,   im- 


RETURN  TO  SAN  FRANCISCO. 


91 


mense  commercial  blocks,  and  some  of  the 
most  spacious  and  striking  private  residences 
on  this  continent.  Except  the  basement  story, 
the  houses  are  generally  built  of  wood :  they 
are  painted  a  dark  drab  color,  which  seems  to 
harmonize  well.  The  city  is  very  uneven  ;  and 
some  of  the  streets  run  up  hills  which  are  very 
steep,  and  would  be  almost  inaccessible  but  for 
their  cable-railroads.  On  one  of  the  highest 
hills  are  the  large  mansions  of  Gov.  Stanford, 
Mrs.  Hopkins,  Mr.  Crocker,  Mr.  Colton,  and 
others.  The  view  from  them  is  superb,  and 
the  interior  of  some  of  them  is  very  splendid. 
The  club-houses  are  good ;  and  the  Pacific, 
where  an  entertainment  was  given  to  my 
father,  is  new  and  very  fine.  The  hospitality 
of  the  place  is  unbounded,  and  our  visit  was 
made  exceedingly  pleasant. 

Mr.  William  T.  Coleman  took  us  fifteen  miles 
up  the  bay  to  his  country-seat  at  San  Rafael, 
where  he  has  a  large  estate  and  a  charming 
liouse  and  pleasant  household,  made  doubly 
pleasant  by  a  dinner  where  we  met  a  number 
of  eminent  men  and  attr:ictive  women.  We 
came  down  the  bay  the  next  day,  and  had  a  fine 
view  of  the  Golden  Gate  and  the  beautiful 
scenery. 

Mr.  Coleman,  an  eminent  citizen  and  one  of 
the  early  residents  of  San  Francisco,  was  at  the 


m. 


m\ 


{I- 


i 


HI 


I 


92 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


head  of  the  "Vigilance  Committee"  in  1856, 
which  saved  the  city  from  pillage. 

To  him  we  are  indebted  for  numberless 
courtesies  which  added  largely  to  the  pleasure 
of  our  stay. 

We  were  introduced  at  the  various  clubs.  The 
"Union,"  "Bohemian,"  and  "Pacific"  clubs, 
and  others  on  the  coast,  have  the  excellent  plan 
of  so  contracting  with  the  wine-merchants  as 
to  allow  the  members  to  purchase  their  wines 
at  the  same  price  as  the  clubs  themselves. 

The  Pacific-Coast  clubs  differ  from  our  New- 
York  ones,  such  as  the  "  Union  "  and  "  Knick- 
erbocker," in  the  mode  of  election.  The  fol- 
lowing is  taken  from  the  constitution  of  the 
"  Ar^'ngton  Club  "  of  Portland,  which  was  copied 
from  the  "  Pacific  "  and  "  Union  "  of  San  Fran- 
cisco :  — 

ARTICLE   HI. 

ELECTION  C^   REGULAR   MEMBERS. 

Section  I.  All  applications  for  admission  to  regu- 
lar membership  shall  be  submitted  to  the  Board  of 
Directors,  and  approved  by  them,  prior  to  the  post- 
ing and  balloting  for  the  applicant,  as  hereinafter 
provided. 

We  went  to  Oakland  as  the  guest  of  Mr.  Hub- 
bard, where  we  spent  another  pleasant  after- 
noon.   I  tried  a  bareback  ride  on  his  daughter's 


IggH 


!J.M»^lL«|<l"li^i."#IJ»^V^Ii"U||^iiW¥_l**.fiP'' 


RETURN  TO  SAN  FRANCISCO. 


93 


mustang,  and,  to  my  surprise,  ran  him  without 

a  tumble.      In    the  evening  Mr.  G ,  jun., 

gave  me  an  excellent  dinner  at  the  noted 
"  Marchands "  (the  Maison  Doree,  as  regards 
the  cuisine)  of  San  Francisco.  Then  we  went 
over  the  Bohemian  Club ;  and  afterwards  be- 
hind the  scenes  at  the  California  Theatre,  where 
they  were  playin^^'  "  The  Silver  King." 

The  next  day  my  father  was  much  pleased  to 
meet  his  old  friend  and  classmate,  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Stone,  now  so  eminent  as  a  preacher. " 


I,' 

■ii 


.•I 


94  FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE   TO  ALASKA. 


If     > 


CHAPTER  XL 

MENLO    PARK.  —  GOV.    STANFORD'S    HORSES.  —  MR. 
FLOOD'S   COUNTRY   PLACE.  — MR.  D.  O.   MILLS. 

Major  Rathbun  invited  us  to  Menlo  Park, 
where  he  has  a  cottage  fitted  up  in  peculiarly 
attractive  taste.  He  has  charge  of  Gov.  Stan- 
ford's place  during  the  governor's  absence  in 
Europe ;  and  took  us  over  the  estate  of  six 
thousand  acres,  on  which  there  are  six  hundred 
horses  and  colts  of  various  ages,  in  training. 
The  system  has  perfect  organization,  and  as  yet 
the  governor  has  not  sold  any  horses.  Two 
hundred  and  fifty  men  are  engaged  on  the 
estate. 

Although  the  governor  has  not  until  lately 
paid  attention  to  nanning  horses,  his  stock  is 
said  to  be  the  third-largest  private  collection 
in  the  world.  Here  one  sees  the  horse  in  every 
stage,  from  the  foal  to  the  old  stallion  with  his 
long  pedigree.  The  governor  believes  in  the 
little  oval  circuses,  where  the  young  are  trotted 
every  day  free  from  harness.  He  maintains, 
that,  from  their  earliest  existence,  regular  daily 


!l. 


r."  t.ip>-^v7  ,:  ,?^. 


RETURN  TO  SAN  FRANCISCO. 


95 


exercise  develops  the  horse's  speed  better  than 
to  allow  the  colt  to  remain  during  his  younger 
months  inactive.  This  he  is  said  to  have  proved. 
Some  ten  or  twelve  stallions  are  kept,  all  of 
which  contain  good  racing-blood  from  noted 
sires. 

Here  it  was  that  the  experiment  of  success- 
fully photographing  the  movement  of  trotters 
at  full  speed  was  performed ;  and  my  readers 
may  remember  the  many  illustrations  which 
appeared  in  the  sporting-papers,  depicting  the 
curious  and  almost  impossible  positions  which 
the  horse  assumed.  To  effect  this  result,  about 
a  dozen  very  fine  wires  were  drawn  parallel  to 
each  other  over  the  race-track,  at  equal  dis- 
tances apart,  which  were  connected  with  as 
many  cameras.  As  the  horse  in  his  speed 
successively  broke  the  wires,  the  slide  opened, 
and  an  instants .  3us  photograph  was  taken  of 
the  horse's  movement  as  he  appeared  during 
that  brief  second. 

Races  take  place  on  the  various  race-courses 
of  the  farm  ;  and  the  times  of  both  trotters  and 
runners  are  accurately  taken,  improvements 
recorded,  and  the  horses  classed  accordingly. 
The  paddocks  spread  over  a  great  area  of 
ground,  and  the  novelty  of  the  sight  is  one 
not  forgotten. 

Menlo  Park  is  a  natural  park,  with  very  large, 


U\ 


96 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


%     I: 


scattered  oaks,  with  pasture  and  arable  land  be- 
tween. It  is  thirty-two  miles  by  rail,  on  the 
way  south  towards  Monterey. 

The  country-seat  of  Mr.  Flood  is  near  by, 
where  we  were  invited  to  go.  It  is  immensely 
large,  superbly  decorated  and  furnished :  each 
room  is  different.  It  stands  in  the  midst  of  a 
large  green  lawn,  kept  fresh  by  irrigation,  and 
the  lawn  is  bordered  with  native  trees.  The 
outside  of  the  pile  is  entirely  white  ;  and,  as  you 
enter  the  grounds,  the  white  contrasted  with  the 
green  reminds  you  of  the  Castle  of  Pierrefond 
in  the  Royal  Forest  of  Compiegne.  We  saw 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Flood,  their  son  and  daughter. 
They  were  sensible,  well  -  mannered  people, 
without  the  least  pretension. 

From  the  rail-car,  we  saw  in  the  distance  the 
handsome  country-residence  of  D.  O.  Mills,  Esq. 

Returning  to  the  city,  we  met  Mr.  McAllister, 
an  eminent  lawyer  of  San  Francisco ;  Judge 
Hoffman,  formerly  of  New  York  ;  Mr.  Justice 
Field,  well  known  as  one  of  the  ablest  judges 
of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  ;  and 
also  Mrs.  Field. 

We  had  letters  to  Messrs.  Goodall,  Perkins,  & 
Co.,  agents  of  the  Oregon  Railway  and  Navi- 
gation Company.  Mr,  Perkins  was  lately  gov- 
ernor of  California,  from  whom  we  received 
most  valuable  civilities. 


RETURN  TO  SAN  FRANCISCO. 


97 


CHAPTER  XII. 


CLIFF   HOUSE.  — SEA-LIONS.  — GOLDEN-GATE   PARK. 


f?.::i 


yune  30.  —  After  lunching  at  Black  Point 
with  Gen.  Schofield,  commander  of  the  Pacific 
troops,  formerly  commandant  of  West  Point, 
we  visited  the  Cliff  House,  and  saw  the  noted 
sea-lions  sunning  themselves  on  their  favorite 
rocks.  Their  grotesque  antics  proved  no  small 
attraction  to  visitors,  and  their  roaring  can  be 
heard  a  long  distance.  They  grow  to  an  im- 
mense size,  some  of  them  reaching  from  two 
to  three  thousand  pounds.  They  crawl  up  the 
cliffs  by  aid  of  their  flippers,  in  a  most  slouchy 
manner.  The  noted  old  lion  called  Gen.  But- 
ler, weighing  more  than  two  thousand  pounds, 
gave  us  an  e^diibition  of  his  prowess  :  seizing 
a  seal  in  his  jaws,  he  threw  him  some  ten  feet 
into  the  sea,  and  then  waddled  up  the  rock 
again  to  enjoy  his  favorite  basking.  Roaring, 
and  fighting,  and  tumbling  into  the  sea,  varied 
their  lazy  lolling  in  the  sun.  As  if  conscious 
of  their  safety  (the  law  forbidding  them  to  be 
killed),  you    can    see  from  fifty  to  a  hundred 


i 


98 


FROM  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


near  midday,  lifting  themselves  up  the  rocks, 
and  making  their  hideous  bellowing.  They  are 
terribly  destructive  to  the  fish  in  the  bay.  Thou- 
sands of  black  "  hell-divers,"  ducks,  and  white 
gulls  (also  protected  by  law),  use  the  same 
resting-places  in  safety ;  so  that  strangers  are 
fully  repaid  for  their  drive  to  the  sea.  Return- 
ing through  the  Golden  -  Gate  driving  -  park, 
where  the  limit  of  speed  is  ten  miles  an  hour 
(four  more  than  the  Central  Park) ,  we  reached 
the  "  Palace,"  just  in  time  to  meet  Judge  Field, 
on  his  return  from  Oregon. 

July  I. — To-day,  in  company  with  Judge 
Field,  we  went  over  Mr.  Crocker's  house  on 
Nob  Hill,  which  is  immensely  large.  The  suite, 
including  hall,  dining,  and  billiard  rooms,  deco- 
rated by  Herter,  is  quite  imposing. 


m 


•..■-.,.     ..  -rr-Jfif    ^.  '.  '    Si."  -'   I  •  -     -;." 


RETURN  TO  SAN  FRANCISCO. 


99 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  CHINESE. —  WILLIAM   T.   COLEMAN'S    SPEECH.— 
THE  CHINESE  QUARTER. 

California  Is  a  State  of  vast  size  and  bound- 
less resources.  She  was  admitted  as  a  State  on 
the  9th  of  September,  1850;  and  her  growth 
has  been  very  rapid.  That  San  Francisco  will 
become  one  of  the  greatest  cities  of  the  world, 
there  can  be  no  question. 

The  Chinese  quarter  of  the  city  is  a  unique 
place,  and  again  we  visited  it.  "At  night  it  pre- 
sents strange  scenes.  Without  a  guide,  a  stran- 
ger would  be  lost  in  the  labyrinth  of  lanes  and 
turns  and  numberless  stalls  and  bewildering 
darkened  lights.  It  is  visited  by  both  men  and 
women;  and  many  odd  things  are  seen,  some 
of  which  are  not  told.  , 

The  tneatre,  where  the  same  play  continues 
through  many  nights,  we  saw  once  more,  where 
all  the  performers  are  men  ;  where  the  music  is 
made  of  the  most  clashing,  unmelodious  noise  ; 
where  no  curtain  drops  upon  the  stage  ;  where 
the  actors  are  clad  in  the  most  gorgeous  robes ; 


m 


m 


TOO 


FROM  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


I 


V. 


■  r 


and  where  the  fight'ng  with  swords  is  conducted 
in  the  most  pre  )osterous  way,  —  the  comba- 
tants constantly  hirling  around  after  clashing 
their  swords,  and  then  standing  still  for  awhile 
with  their  backs  toward  each  other,  then  whirl- 
ing in  the  swiftest  possible  way,  and  going  at 
it  again,  and  thus  continuing  this  absurd  com- 
bat for  a  long  time,  when  the  other  actors 
entered,  and  squalled  with  the  most  harsh  and 
discordant  voices.  There  is  no  more  melody 
on  this  Celestial  stage  than  in  a  sawmill. 

The  tea-houses  are  much  frequented.  Tea 
is  made  by  putting  a  few  leaves  into  a  cup, 
filling  the  cup  with  boiling  water,  then  cover- 
ing it  for  a  few  minutes  with  a  saucer,  and 
then  pouring  it  out  to  drink :  it  is  thus  freshly 
made,  and  has  this  advantage.  The  cunning 
Chinee  sells  it  to  fools  for  seven  dollars  a  pound, 
as  something  impossible  to  obtain  elsewhere ; 
when,  in  fact,  you  can  purchase  better  in  New 
York  for  seventy  cents. 

The  Chinese  question  is  curious  and  perplex- 
ing. The  following  speech  of  Mr.  Coleman, 
delivered  in  San  Francisco  a  year  and  a  half 
ago,  fairly  expresses  the  sentiment  of  many  of 
the  better  class  in  that  city :  — 

"  Fellow-Citizens,  —  I  will  treat  the  Chinese 
ijuestion  in  different  aspects,  probably,  from  others, 
and,   as  we  are  limited  to  ten  minutes,  will  come 


■■■■■ 


RETURN   TO  SAN  FRANCISCO. 


lOI 


directly  to  the  subject.  There  are  three  things  that 
can  be  said  in  favor  of  the  Chinese  that  have  attract- 
ed many  people,  and  given  them  a  status,  where,  per- 
haps, a  fuller  acquaintance  with  them,  and  a  fuller 
consideration  of  all  questions  involved,  would  not 
have  been  so  favorable  to  them  ;  viz.,  that  physically, 
mentally,  and  politically,  they  are  equal,  if  not  supe- 
rior, to  the  average  of  mankind.  ■  Beyond  that,  the 
comparison  is  against  them.  Physically,  as  laborers 
in  the  field,  on  the  farm,  heavy  work  and  light,  in 
many  departments,  and  as  operatives  and  artisans, 
they  show  quickness,  strength,  sprightliness,  endur- 
ance, accuracy,  and  fidelity,  in  a  great  degree.  Men- 
tally, they  are  quick,  acute,  and  correct  in  their 
perceptions,  apt,  strong,  and  tenacious  in  memory, 
and  rarely  fail  in  the  lessons  that  have  been  taught 
them.  In  the  higher  walks  we  know  that  as  schol- 
ars, statesmen,  and  diplomats,  they  are  astute  and 
far-reaching,  and  held  in  great  respect.  Politically 
(and  by  politically  I  give  that  meaning  which  em- 
braces politeness,  adroitness,  cunning,  and  artful- 
ness), they  are  shrewd  and  circumspect,  and  full  of 
resources  and  adaptability. 

"  If  we  could  continue  these  favorable  comparisons, 
there  would  be  no  need  for  this  meeting  to-day,  nor 
the  excitement  and  active  opposition  that  have  been 
made,  and  we  are  now  making,  and  must  make,  against 
their  continued  immigration ;  but  unfortunately,  or 
possibly  fortunately,  here  the  fair  comparison  ceases. 
We  find  that  in  their  habits,  customs,  thoughts,  im- 
pulses, education,  action  ;  in  their  ethics,  morals,  and 
religion  (or  lack  of  religion) ;  in  their  social  and  po- 
litical views,  —  they  are  so  different  from  us,  so  radi- 


illl 


.  1 


Pocific  N.  W.  HlGtory  Dept, 

PROVINCIAL  LIBRARY 
VICTORIA,  B.  C. 


% 


I02 


FA'OJf  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


cally  and  essentially  divergent,  and  in  all  so  fixed,  as 
to  make  it  undesirable  for  them  to  be  with  us  or  near 
us,  and  impossible  for  them  to  become  citizens,  or 
part  and  parcel  with  us.  Nor  do  they  wish  to  become 
a  part  with  us.  They  come  to  this  country  merely 
as  adventurers  and  gleaners,  or,  in  their  estimation, 
as  conquerors  of  fortune.  They  come  for  a  term,  a 
cruise,  a  campaign,  leaving  behind  their  families  and 
all  they  love  and  cherish  and  respect,  —  come  purely 
seeking  the  "golden  fleece,"  tj  carry  it  back  with 
them,  or  remit  it  to  their  homes,  ard  to  follow  it ; 
never  dreaming  of  permanently  quitting  their  own 
country,  or  severing  ther  allegiance,  ai.'.e-jnce,  and 
submission  to  the  laws  and  will  of  C  lina.  They 
bring  with  them,  and  maintain,  all  their  habits  and 
customs.  By  their  dress,  garb,  and  every  vesture,^ 
they  disdain  and  spurn  the  idea  of  affiliating'  or  assim- 
ilating with  the  Americans  or  other  "  outside  barba- 
rians." They  don't  want  to  become, — at  least,  the 
larger  part  of  them  don't  want  to,  —  or  think  of  ever 
becoming,  permanent  residents ;  certainly  of  not  be- 
coming, citizens,  tmless  it  be  as  conquerors  and 
masters,  —  holding  their  home  allegiance  firmly,  and 
looking  down  (Jn  us  with  a  quiet  contempt.  They 
feel  that  there  they  have  a  nation  and  history  far 
superior,  far  higher,  and  far  beyond  all  others  on  the 
earth. 

"The  Chinaman  conceives  he  stands  on  a  higher 
plane,  and  looks  back  through  the  grand  vista  of 
ages  in  one  unbroken  view ;  the  grand  colonnade  of 
emperors,  statesmen,  scholars,  soVJiers,  reaching  back 
in  one  glorious  sweep  to  the  days  of  Confucius,  now 
twenty-seven  hundred  years  ago.     Beyond  that,  he 


I 


RETURN  TO   &AN  FRANCISCO. 


103 


•counts,  or  claims  to  count,  thirteen  hundred  years 
more  of  unbroken  history  ;  and  beyond  that  —  but 
only  in  the  depths  of  tradition  and  song  —  he  yet 
claims  a  grand  ancestry.  He  points  to  the  fact  that 
China  was  old  and  prosperous  when  Rome  and  Greece 
were  young  ;  that  she  had  attained  great  advancement 
at  the  beginning  of  our  Christian  era  ;  that  Confucius 
had  taught  his  philosophy  nine  hundred  years,  and 
Gautama  his  doctrines  five  hundred  yeais,  before  that 
epoch.  Coming  down  through  the  long  period  of 
fifteen  hundred  years,  b  -  shows,  that,  when  America 
was  'discovered,'  China  was  in  her  highest  state  of 
civilization,  and  had  a  system  of  internal  improve- 
ments and  other  grand  works  superior  to  any  thing 
else  on  the  earth.  He  claims  for  all  of  this  a  supe- 
riority physically,  mentally,  politically,  and  otherwise, 
and  asks  where  can  be  a  comparison  made  to  him. 
He  has  much  in  this  to  be  proud  of;  and  while  his 
claims  are  excessive,  and  while  our  advancement  in 
civilization,  arts,  sciences,  literature,  and  wealth, 
under  Christian  dispensation,  are  so  far  beyond  his, 
yet  he  is  blind  to  them,  and  keeps  his  eye  steadfast 
on  the  age  and  grandeur  and  unification  of  China ; 
and,  with  his  mind  always  on  the  past,  he  has  not 
believed,  or  has  been  indifferent  to  the  fact,  that  the 
world  moved  and  improved,  and  that  he  was  centu- 
ries behind  the  times,  and  is  positively  retrograding. 

"Let  not  our  philanthropic  friends  a  road  think 
that  the  Chinaman  is  fleeing  to  Americr  co  seek  the 
aegis  of  our  protection.  Let  then  bear  in  mind  that 
there  are  no  refugees  from  China  except  criminals. 
There  are  no  social,  political,  or  religious  migrations, 


104 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUL    TO  ALASKA. 


like  the  Puritans  to  New  England,  the  Huguenots  ta 
the  South,  like  the  Irish  patriots,  or  the  Jews  from 
Russia  to-day,  fleeing  for  safety,  and  seeking  an 
asylun\anda  home.  .  .  .  Even  to-day  she  has  a  navy 
that  puts  ours  to  shame.  She  lies  within  thirty  days 
of  us,  and  could,  if  occasion  require  it,  place  on  our 
shores  an  army,  the  equal  of  which  modern  times 
have  not  seen.  This  is  not  likely  to  occur  soon,  but 
it  may  come.  The  death  of  a  single  prominent  China- 
man in  this  country,  or  a  single  American  in  that, 
or  any  mishap,  may  work  a  complication  that  would 
at  once  put  us  in  arms. 

"  It  is  said  that  in  Great  Britain  there  will  be 
put  afloat,  this  year,  at  least  one  million  of  tons  re- 
gister of  iron  ships  and  steamers ;  more  probably, 
twelve  hundred  thousand  tons,  or  twelve  hundred 
vessels  of  a  thousand  tons  each.  If  occasion  re- 
quired, China  could  buy  one-half  this  fleet ;  and  with 
her  own,  and  such  as  she  could  get  together,  she 
could  start  a  thousand  vessels  on  short  notice,  bring- 
ing two  thousand  men  each,  and  hurl,  almost  before 
we  knew  it,  two  million  people  on  our  coast.  This 
could  be  readily  multiplied,  so  that  five,  ten,  or  even 
twenty  millions  could  be  here  in  a  comparatively  short 
time. 


"Now,  fellow-citizens,  let  me  ask  you  and  our  East- 
ern friends  what  would  be  the  position  of  California 
to-morrow  with  a  Chinese  invasion,  and  a  Chinese 
settlement  in  the  centre  of  every  city,  every  town  on  the 
coast,  each  one  compact,  unified,  and  solid  against  us  ; 
with  isolated  Chinamen  throughout  the  country,  — 
men  who  could  act,  and  would  act,  inevitably,  for 


■T?^^!J|^«BH^P9|S^B^W^^7!7?fW^i^^^ 


-■!^?^]^F<-TH^;^l,^;\1 


RETURN  TO  SAN  FRANCISCO. 


105 


their  people,  as  scouts,  spies,  and  guides,  leading 
them  through  our  mountain  passes  into  our  valleys, 
villages,  and  towns;  betraying  to  them  all  our  strong- 
holds, and  exposing  all  our  weaknesses  ;  every 
Chinaman  in  the  country,  with  his  knowledge  cf  its 
topography  and  surroundings,  being  to  the  invaders 
worth  a  hundred  of  their  own  men  ?  With  the  large 
forces  China  could  land  here  with  modern  arms,  the 
land  could  be  swept  and  devastated,  as  do  myriads 
of  locusts  in  one  unbroken  mass  sweep  over  a  coun- 
try, devouring  every  living  thing  before  them.  And 
do  not  let  our  people  suppose  that  the  Chinese  can- 
not make  soldiers.  See  them  walk  our  streets  and 
over  our  hills  and  mountains,  —  the  long  swinging 
step,  and  easy  regular  gait ;  see  them  making  long 
marches,  and  carrying  big  burdens  over  hills  and 
valleys,  and  it  is  patent  to  every  one  that  they  would 
make  splendid  marching  militia  ;  and,  well  broken  ia 
and  well  handled,  they  are  good  lighters  too. 

"We  would  ask  brother  Hoar,  and  those  who  agree 
with  him,  to  visit  San  Francisco,  Sacramento,  and 
our  interior  towns,  and  'do 'the  Chinese  quarters, 
with  all  their  filth,  stench,  and  dissipation,  and  then 
say  if  they  wish  to  embrace  them  as  'friends  and 
brothers.' 


'I' 


You  find  the  Chinese  everywhere,  from  San 
Francisco  to  the  higher  latitudes  of  Alaska^ 
where  we  found  twenty  at  work  in  one  salmon- 
cannery  soldering  cans.  We  saw  plenty  of 
them  in  Astoria,  Portland,  all  along  the  line  of 


wsammmmmmm, 


1 06 


FJHOM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO   ALASKA. 


the  railroad  for  two  hundred  and  sixty-two  miles 
in  the  Willamette  Valley ;  all  the  way  from 
Puget  Sound  to  Victoria  ;  in  the  lead-mines, 
iron-rriines,  gold-mines,  as  chambermen  and  val- 
ets, laundry-men,  diggers  on  the  road,  workers 
at  the  irrigation  ditches,  waiters  on  the  steam- 
ers, porters  in  streets,  many  thousand  at  work 
on  the  Northern  Pacific  Railway,  servants  in 
every  grade  and  kind  of  labor  and  service 
everywhere.  In  Victoria  they  are  very  numer- 
ous. 

Wfc  talked  with  a  captain  of  a  steamer  whose 
business  it  is  to  bring  them  from  China  (there 
being  no  restriction  against  their  emigration  to 
the  British  dominion,  they  land  there,  and  then 
many  of  them  make  their  way  overland  into 
the  United  States)  ;  we  talked  with  many  men 
in  San  Francisco,  and  along  the  cities  of  Puget 
Sound  ;  and  we  never  found  a  man  who  did 
not  say  that  no  part  of  the  Pacific  Coast  could 
get  along  without  them  :  not  a  man  wished  to 
have  the  Chinese  go,  though  many  Vvcre  vio- 
lently opposed  to  immigration. 

The  Chinese  are  a  curious  people.  They 
can  never  assimilate  with  us  either  in  habits, 
thoughts,  ideas  of  governm.ent,  or  religion. 
We  took  much  pains  to  learn  what  we  could 
about  them.  They  are  cleanly,  and  will  not 
work  where  they  cannot  easily  wash  all  over  in 


RETURN  TO  SAN  FRANCISCO. 


107 


water.  They  are  industrious,  economical,  law- 
abiding  ;  never  intoxicated  or  quarrelsome ; 
wonderfully  patient  and  enduring ;  can  carry 
heavy  burdens  on  their  shoulders  if  suspended 
on  a  pole  between  two  of  them :  but  they  are 
by  no  means  strong  in  general,  and  in  hard 
work  with  the  shovel  or  pick  can  do  but  about 
half  the  work  of  an  Irishman.  They  are  very 
clannish,  and  will  not  work  for  a  man  who 
has  treated  one  of  them  unjustly.  When  they 
leave  a  house,  they  are  not  likely  to  give  a  rea- 
son ;  but  they  are  sure  to  leave  a  secret  mark 
which  will  prevent  a  Chinaman  from  remaining 
who  may  take  the  vacant  place  if  left  for  cause. 
And  yet,  when  one  of  them  becomes  maimed 
beyond  recovery,  or  sick  beyond  hope  of  res- 
toration, they  leave  him  alone  to  die,  and  go 
not  near  him  except  stealthily  to  see  that  he 
is  dead,  and  then  they  hire  some  one  (not  a 
Chinese)  to  bury  him.  We  never  once  saw  an 
old,  or  halt,  or  lame,  or  blind  Chinaman.  This 
inconsistent  trait,  of  leaving  the  hopelessly  ill 
to  die,  seemed  so  strange  that  we  asked  many 
superintendents  of  railways,  who  had  many 
Chinamen  under  their  charge,  about  it ;  and 
they  all  confirmed  the  statements  which  we  so 
often  heard.  They  seem  to  have  a  horror  of 
touching  a  dead  body.  The  bones  are  all  that 
they  especially  care  to  have  taken  to  the  Celes- 


io8 


FROM  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


tial  Kingdom.  They  give  no  explanation  of 
their  peculiar  prejudices.  They  are  very  re- 
vengeful, even  unto  death,  towards  one  of  their 
countrymen  who  has  wronged  them.  They 
seem  to  be  afraid  of  the  dead,  but  not  afraid 
to  die.  To  us  they  seem  to  have  many  strange 
inconsistencies  :  they  are  not  of  us,  and  they 
never  can  be.  They  are  extremely  acute,  and 
understand  the  value  of  the  law  (which  excludes 
new  immigrants)  to  those  who  remain  here,  and 
they  grade  their  wages  accordingly.  They  do 
not  drink,  but  many  smoke  opium  injuriously. 
They  seem  a  present  necessity  for  this  coast, 
where  labor  is  so  difficult  to  obtain  ;  but  no 
American  who  has  seen  them  in  San  Fran- 
cisco would  wish  to  have  an  indefinite  increase 
of  their  numbers.  And  when  we  remember 
that  China  is  now  very  near,  and  can  spare  a 
hundred  million  without  feeling  the  loss,  the 
Chinese  question  is  not  free  of  embarrassment. 

The  odors  of  the  Chinese  quarter  misled  me 
as  to  the  cleanliness  of  the  Chinamen.  At 
first,  I  thought  them  filthy ;  but  further  obser- 
vation convinced  me  that  they  are  quite  as  neat 
as  any  other  people  of  the  same  class,  and 
more  scrupulously  careful  in  washing  them- 
selves daily  than  laborers  of  the  same  grade 
generally  are. 

All  races  of  men  and  animals  have  an  odor 


TVJ.-vr.i,,--."^'-: 


RETURN   TO  SAN  FRANCISCO. 


109 


quite  distinctive.  The  African,  the  Indian,  and 
the  Chinaman  each  differs  from  the  white  man 
and  from  each  other.  If  dogs  could  speak, 
they  would  say  that  they  can  distinguish  each 
human  being  by  the  scent.  The  peculiar  smell 
which  comes  from  the  crowded  dwellings  of  the 
Chinese,  so  disagreeable  to  the  white  man,  does 
not  arise  from  any  especial  lack  of  cleanliness. 

On  our  way  to  the  Yosemite,  at  a  village 
called  "  Chinese  Camp,"  we  saw,  walking  with 
her  mother,  a  Chinese  girl  of  eighteen,  tall, 
graceful,  and  truly  beautiful,  the  daughter  of  a 
well-to-do  Chinaman :  she  was  born  in  Cali- 
fornia, and  dressed  in  the  American  fashion, 
and  was  the  only  one  of  the  Celestial  race 
whom  we  met,  at  all  good-looking. 


I  lO  FROM  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


%. 


^i^  m 


I 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

SAN  FRANCISCO  TO  ASTORIA.  — COLUMBIA  RIVER.— 

PORTLAND. 

On  Monday,  July  2,  1883,  we  left  San  Fran- 
cisco in  the  steamer  "  Columbia"  of  the  Ore- 
gon Railway  and  Navigation  Line,  for  Portland, 
Ore.  Through  the  kindness  of  Gov.  Perkins, 
the  bridal  chamber,  a  spacious  room,  was  as- 
signed to  us.  The  attentive  Capt.  Bowles  made 
us  very  comfortable  at  his  table.  The  "  Colum- 
bia "  is  a  good  sea  vessel ;  but  the  Pacific  Ocean 
was  exceedingly  rough  the  entire  way,  and  no 
one  but  my  father  (who  is  never  seasick)  was 
at  the  captain's  table  for  nearly  two  days. 

Passing  the  bar  at  one  p.m.,  we  sailed  up  the 
f  -famed  Columbia  River,  grand  in  the  extreme, 
j,i though  our  view  was  much  marred  by  the 
forest  fires  which  completely  shrouded  some  of 
the  higher  snow-clad  ranges.  The  banks,  cov- 
ered with  dark  and  sombre  trees  growing  to 
the  water's  edge,  reminded  one  of  the  St. 
John's  with  the  inundated  cypress,  and  also 
of  the  I-,ower  Mississippi.     We  saw  quantities  of 


;if 


*^}iim^fmaif^vmw^m^f>*iV^^';j^*f^^ 


I 


SAJV  FRANCISCO    TO  ASTORIA. 


Ill 


salmon-nets  eighteen  hundred  to  two  thousand 
feet  in  length,  and  some  eighteen  feet  deep. 
Sitting  as  I  do  on  the  bridge,  the  silence 
broken  by  the  captain's  orders,  the  vast  river 
spread  before  us,  the  timbered  shores  dark  and 
wild,  give  a  certain  lonely  feeling  of  awe  in 
the  grandeur  and  freedom  of  the  scene,  which 
one  does  not  experience  on  such  lovely  streams 
as  the  Hudson,  Rhine,  Danube,  or  St.  John's. 
Salmon  here  run  as  high  as  seventy  pounds, 
although  of  course  this  is  greatly  the  exception. 
They  do  not  rise  to  a  fly,  and  are  caught, 
throughout  Puget  Sound  and  the  Willamette 
River,  by  nets,  with  a  spear  during  a  run,  or  by 
trolling  with  a  spoon  early  in  the  morning  or 
late  towards  evening. 

On  the  4th  we  reached  Astoria,  near  the 
mouth  of  the  great  Columbia  River.  Astoria 
is  on  the  south  bank,  and  by  sea  six  hundred 
and  thirty-nine  miles  from  San  Francisco,  and 
a  hundred  and  twenty  miles  from  Portland, 
which  is  on  the  Willamette  River,  a  south 
branch  of  the  Columbia ;  and  Portland  is  twelve 
miles  above  where  this  river  enters  the  Colum- 
bia. The  Columbia  is  five  miles  wide  at  its 
mouth  ;  and,  a  few  miles  above,  it  widens  to 
about  fifteen  miles.  There  was  a  destructive 
fire  at  Astoria  on  the  morning  of  the  4th  of 
July,  the  day  of  our  arrival. 


112 


FROM  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


The  Columbia  River  was  once  called  the 
Oregon.  This  is  the  river  which  Bryant  men- 
tions in  his  immortal  poem,  "  Thanatopsis." 

"  Or  lose  thyself  in  the  continuous  woods, 
Where  rolls  the  Oregon,  and  hears  no  sound. 
Save  his  own  dashings — yet  the  dead  are  there." 

Visitinof  Astoria,  which  now  contains  about 
six  thousand  people,  I  was  induced  to  learn 
something  of  its  history.  I  had  always  under- 
stood that  in  some  way  it  derived  its  name  from 
the  eminent  merchant,  John  Jacob  Astor,  the 
founder  of  the  Astor  family  of  New  York. 

It  appears,  from  the  account  given  by  Wash- 
ington Irving,  that  Astor,  with  that  wonderful 
forecast  with  which  he  was  gifted,  conceived 
the  idea  of  establishing  a  trading-post  on  the 
Northern  Pacific  Ocean  for  trade  with  the  In- 
dians. In  the  month  of  September,  1810,  Mr. 
Astor  sent  the  ship  "Tonquin"  around  Cape 
Horn  on  her  memorable  voyage  to  the  Colum- 
bia River,  from  which  she  never  returned. 

On  the  i2th  of  April,  181 1,  a  launch  from 
the  "  Tonquin "  was  freighted  with  all  thin^'i 
necessary,  and,  with  sixteen  men,  landed  at  the 
bottom  of  a  small  bay  within  Point  George  on 
the  south  bank  of  the  Columbia  River ;  and 
there  they  commenced  cutting  the  trees  to  build 
their   fort   and   trading-house,   and   called   the 


l1 


SAJV  FRANCISCO    TO  ASTORIA. 


113 


place  Astoria,  after  the  projector  and  supporter 
of  the  enterprise. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  some  persons  who 
read  this  book,  to  glance  at  a  brief  sketch  of 
the  life  of  that  remarkable  man  from  whom 
Astoria  was  named. 

John  Jacob  Astor  was  born  in  the  little  vil- 
lage of  Waldorf,  near  Heidelberg,  on  the  banks 
of  the  Rhine.  He  was  brought  up  in  the  most 
simple  rural  life ;  but  while  a  mere  boy,  he 
made  his  way  to  London  with  a  strong  pre- 
sentiment that  he  would  one  day  arrive  at  great 
fortune. 

While  in  London  he  managed  to  gain  a  little 
rrioney,  which  he  invested  in  goods  which  he 
thought  suited  to  the  American  market ;  and  in 
the  month  of  November,  .1783,  he  embarked 
in  a  ship  bound  for  Baltimore,  and  arrived  in 
Hampton  Roads  in  January,  1 784.  The  winter 
was  extremely  cold,  and  the  vessel  was  detained 
by  ice  in  the  Chesapeake  Bay  for  nearly  three 
months.  Thus  commenced  the  career  of  this 
young  man  in  the  New  World,  a  hundred  years 
ago. 

On  the  5th  of  June,  181 1,  the  "Tonquin" 
sailed  from  the  mouth  of  the  river,  with  twenty- 
three  men  on  board.  They  picked  up  an  In- 
dian interpreter,  who  agreed  to  accompany 
them  to  the  north.     Capt.  Thorn  arrived  with 


\\ 


114 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


i 


I 


his  ship  at  Vancouver's  Island  in  a  few  days, 
and  anchored  in  the  harbor;  Indians  came  off 
in  their  canoes  with  sea-otter  skins  to  sell. 
Thorn  had  been  trained  in  a  man-of-war,  and 
was  rather  arbitrary  in  his  manner,  and  had  a 
great  contempt  for  the  savages.  Some  difh- 
culty  arose  about  the  price  of  the  skins,  and  he 
cleared  his  ship.  The  next  day  the  Indians 
returned  in  great  numbers,  appearing  to  be 
very  friendly  and  desirous  to  trade  :  they  were 
admitted  to  the  deck,  and  in  exchanging  their 
furs  for  merchandise  it  was  observed  that 
nearly  all  the  Indians  took  knives  in  exchange. 
Having  finished  the  barter,  the  captain  ordered 
the  ship  cleared.  In  an  instant  a  signal  yell 
was  given,  and  the  treacherous  fiends  rushed 
upon  their  victims..  All  on  deck  were  butch- 
ered. Lewis,  the  ship's  clerk,  was  stabbed,  and 
fell  down  the  companion-way.  Seven  sailors 
had  been  sent  aloft  to  loosen  sail,  and  saw  with 
horror  the  terrible  carnage.  Having  no  weap- 
ons, they  let  themselves  down  the  outer  rigging, 
in  hopes  of  getting  between  decks  where  there 
were  arms :  three  were  instantly  killed ;  four 
made  good  their  way  into  the  cabin,  where  they 
found  Lewis  still  alive.  Barricading  the  cabin- 
door,  and  breaking  holes  through  the  compan- 
ion-way, with  their  muskets  they  cleared  the 
deck.     The  Indians  took  to  their  canoes ;  and 


i  I ' 


SAN  FRANCISCO    TO  ASTORIA. 


115 


the  four  survivors  of  the  crew  discharged  the 
deck-guns,  which  drove  all  the  savages  to  the 
shore.  Night  came  on  ;  and  the  four  men  left 
the  ship  in  a  boat,  and  hoped  to  escape. 
Lewis,  having  received  a  terrible  wound,  refused 
to  accompany  them :  his  companions  bade  him 
a  sad  farewell,  and  moved  off  with  their  little 
boat  into  the  dark.  Exhausted  by  fatigue  and 
watching,  they  were  driven  ashore  by  the  wind, 
seized  by  the  savages,  and  murdered  with  all 
the  lingering  tortures  of  savage  cruelty. 

The  next  morning  some  of  the  canoes  came 
cautiously  near  the  ship,  taking  with  them  the 
Indian  interpreter,  whom  they  had  not  killed. 
Lewis,  who  was  not  yet  dead,  reached  the  deck, 
and  made  friendly  signs  inviting  them  on  board. 
It  was  long  before  they  would  comply.  Lewis 
disappeared  from  the  deck,  and  finally  the 
Indians  boaided  in  great  numbers ;  and  in  the 
midst  of  their  eagerness  and  wild  exultation, 
the  ship  blew  up,  and  more  than  a  hundred  of 
these  fiends  were  destroyed  by  the  heroic  act 
of  the  young  ship's  clerk. 

All  these  particulars  were  given  by  the  inter- 
preter, who  was  blown  into  the  sea,  but  not 
killed. 

Thus  perished  Mr.  Astor's  ship,  with  every 
soul  on  board,  to  the  number  of  twenty-three ; 
but  the  town  which  the  "  Tonquin  "  founded 
still  exists. 


ii6 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


II 


I  1 


pi; 


m 


Mr.  Astor  had  carefully  warned  the  captain, 
in  his  instructions,  not  to  allow  the  savages  to 
come  on  deck  ;  but  the  captain,  blinded  by  his 
courage,  and  his  contempt  for  the  savage,  did 
not  heed  the  warning. 

This  was  but  one  of  the  thousand  mishaps 
•and  depressing  discoufagcments  which  Mr. 
Astor  encountered  during  many  weary  years  of 
his  earlier  life.  He  earned  his  great'  fortune. 
It  did  not  come  of  luck :  it  was  the  leo^itimate 
result  of  his  great  natural  ability,  energy,  saga- 
city, and  the  persistent  sacrifice  of  every  pas- 
sion, luxury,  or  pleasure,  which  might  obstruct 
his  grand  design. 

Of  course  I  never  saw  him ;  but  I  derive  this 
estimate  of  his  character  from  the  record  which 
Washington  Irving,  his  intimate  friend,  has  .eft 
of  him,  confirmed  by  the  portrait  painLed  by 
Stuart. 

At  midnight  on  the  4th  of  July  we  reached 
Portland,  and  landed  on  the  5th.  Large  ships 
come  up  to  Portland.  It  is  a  very  prosperous 
city  of  about  forty  thousand  inhabitants,  and 
increases  rapidly.  The  stores  and  business 
houses  are  large  and  well  built,  and  many  of 
the  private  residences  are  very  fine.  It  is  be- 
lieved that  there  are  more  rich  men  in  Portland, 
for  its  size,  than  in  any  other  city  in  America ; 
but  there  is  not  a  healthy  or  comfortable  hotel 


SAAT  FRANCISCO    TO  ASTORIA. 


117 


in  the  place.  But  the  citizens  are  very  hos- 
pitable, and  Mr.  Paul  Schulze  and  his  wife  made 
us  feel  at  home  as  guests  in  their  house.  Mr. 
Schulze  is  the  energetic  and  enterprising  head 
of  the  land  department  of  the  Great  Northern 
Pacific  road,  which  road  will  surely  make  Port- 
land quite  the  largest  city  on  the  Northern 
Pacific.  It  lies  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Wil- 
lamette River,  which  drains  that  fertile  valley  of 
Oregon  through  which  a  railroad  now  runs  from 
Portland.  Large  ships  lie  at  the  docks.  It  is 
useless  to  argue  that  Astoria,  Seattle,  or  some 
other  place,  will  be  its  future  rival :  it  is  too  late 
for  that ;  too  much  capital  and  enterprise  are 
there  concentrated  to  be  diverted  ;  and  besides, 
considering  all  things,  there  is  no  more  natural 
place  for  a  great  city  anywhere  in  that  region. 

We  found  the  Arlington  Club  a  delightful 
place,  with  excellent,  fare  and  agreeable  com- 
pany. We  saw  many  of  the  business-men  of 
Portland,  besides  Judge  Deady,  Senator  Dolph, 
Congressman  George,  Mr.  Koehler,  Mr.  Mc- 
Lean, Mr.  Failing,  and  many  others.  We  met 
several  very  interesting  men  at  a  pleasant  din- 
ner given  by  Mr.  Richard  Koehler  to  my  father. 

We  noticed  the  same  peculiarity  at  Portland 
as  at  San  Francisco ;  namely,  a  careful  and 
effectual  desire  to  conceal  the  names  of  the 
streets.     On  scarce  a  street  could  a  name  be 


ii8 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


\    \ 


found.  In  Portland  I  wanted  to  find  Washing-- 
ton  Street :  meeting  a  gentleman,  I  asked  him 
where  it  was,  and  he  said  he  didn't  know ;  I 
had  better  ask  a  pohceman.  I  asked  him  where 
I  could  find  a  policeman  :  he  looked  about,  and, 
smiling,  said  he  "  guessed  they  didn't  have  any." 
I  went  along  as  my  instincts  directed,  and  met 
a  Chinaman  who  had  on  American  clothes,  and 
looked  as  though  he  could  talk  American.  I 
asked  him  if  he  could  direct  me  to  Washington 
Street.  He  said,  "  Chmg  chang  sec;"  and  I 
went  on.  Soon  I  met  another  man,  and  put  to 
him  the  same  question  :  he  looked  dismal,  put 
his-- finger  in  his  ear,  shook  his  head  and  his 
hand,  opened  his  mouth,  and  looked  like  an 
idiot,  and  said  nothing.  I  asked  no  more  ques- 
tions ;  and,  after  searching  about  a  while,  I  found 
the  street :  a  long,  wide  street  it  is. 

There  had  been  no  rain  in  Portland  for 
nearly  two  months  :  every  thing  was  dried  up, 
the  dust  deep  ;  and  the  surrounding  forests  were 
on  fire,  so  that  the  smoke  obscured  our  view, 
and  Mount  Hood,  die  pride  of  Portland,  could 
not  be  seen.  The  days  were  hot,  the  nights 
cool. 

The  sewerage  of  the  city  is  bad,  the  place 
malarious,  and  it  will  become  more  so  as  the 
population  increases.  But  they  are  making 
money  so   fast  that  they  have  no  time  to  think 


SAN  FRANCISCO    TO   ASTORIA. 


119 


about  health  ;  nor  will  they,  until  many  have 
died,  after  a  rapid  increase  of  numbers,  and  the 
consequent  generation  of  disease  where  drain- 
age is  neglected. 

The   whole   country  is   praying   for  rain    to 
quench  the   terrible    forest-fires.     I    remember 
one  occasion,  when  deer-hunting  .lear  the  Ever- 
glades of  Florida,  not  far  from  Lake  Okeecho- 
bee :    our   team    of  mules,    "  Jeff   Davis "  and 
"  Abraham    Lincoln,"   drawing    our   provisions 
and  corn  for  the  mustangs,  cursed  and  sworn 
at  by  the   darky  driver,  slowly  labored   along 
under  their  load  ;  the  stag-hounds,  with  tongues 
lolling    out   of    their   mouths,    trotted   by   our 
side  ;   when  suddenly  the  cry  of  "  Fire !  "  was 
given,  and  we   found    that   the  very  fire  that 
we    ourselves    had    lighted    that    morning    to 
drive  the  deer  south  (the  wind  having  changed) 
was  on  us ;    and  we  had  just  time  to   huddle 
together  the  mules  and   horses,  while  we,  for 
an  hour,  burned  in  opposition,  and  with  green 
branches  fought  the  flames.     Then,  worn  out, 
we  lay  down,  the  old  hounds  nestling  round  the 
warm  glowing  embers  of  the  camp-fire.     How 
well  I  remember  keeping  awake,  looking  up  at 
the  dark  canopy  studded  with  stars,  until  all  my 
party  fell  asleep,  and  watching  the  flames  run- 
ning up  the  pines,  flitting  over  the  branches, 
crackling,  and  spluttering,  the  limbs  snapping 


IM 


.     J 


i,i' 


v;  1 


r 


w 

V 

r 

1 

i 

n 

tl 

h 

I 


1i 


1 20 


/7?0J/  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO   ALASKA. 


and  creaking,  until,  charred  and  worn  out,  like 
Laocoon  and  his  sons  when  overcome  by  the 
fatal  serpents,  writhing  they  fell.  The  next 
morning  after  breaking  camp,  and  driving  over 
the  burning  country,  we  found  huge  land  tor- 
toises burned  in  their  shells,  in  vain  having  at- 
tempted to  escape. 

But  to  return  :  After  dining  with  Mr.  Schulze 
at  the  ArlingLon  Club,  and  playing  pool  with 
Mr.  Browne,  a  Harvard  man,  I  reached  my 
host's  house  in  time  for  our  night's  ride.  Mr. 
Schulze  rode  his  high-stepping  thoroughbred, 
while  I  mounted  a  fast- trotting  gray  of  his  ; 
and  off  we  started  in  the  night,  about  nine  p.m., 
with  the  intention  of  reaching  his  little  chalet, 
some  three  miles  off,  situated  on  a  hill,  where 
we  Viould  pass  the  night,  returning  to  the  valley 
early  next  morning  for  breakfast.  It  was  quite 
a  treat,  being  on  an  English  saddle,  after  using 
the  Mexican  kind  so  much  ;  and  I  tertainly  think 
that  the  English,  although  perhaps  not  quite  so 
comfortable,  are  much  safer  for  jumping. 

Slowly  we  wound  our  way  up  the  hill,  until 
meeting  Tom,  Mr.  Schulze's  Irish  servant,  who 
had  been  sent  on  ahead  with  an  extra  mattress, 
we  were  informed  that  the  forest  fires  were  on 
both  sides  of  the  road,  making  it  dangerous, 
and  that  he  had  just  run  the  gantlet  through 
burning,  falling  I...nbs.     Deploying,  therefore,  to 


iSi 


SAN  FRANC/SCO    TO   ASTORIA. 


121 


the  right,  we  took  a  more  circuitous  route  ;  and, 
after  a  couple  of  hours'  riding,  we  reached  the 
Httle  frame  house,  neatly  made  of  yellow  pine, 
perched  high  up  on  the  mountain,  having  a 
s'/ '<'  '  view  of  alpine  scenery  during  fair 
weatii.;!.  To  -  night,  however,  all  the  woods 
blazed  on  nearly  every  side,  raging  like  a  molten 
sea ;  resem^bling  more  the  Chicago  fire  than 
any  thing  I  can  recall.  No  siege  of  Paris,  or 
burning  of  the  Tuileries  Palace  by  petroleum, 
could  equal  this  wild  devastation  of  the  fiames. 
Am  I  forgetting  what  occurred  on  this  event- 
ful night  at  Schulze's  cottage  ?  No,  never ! 
Am  I  oblivious  to  dear  Schnapps,  my  host's 
dog?  What  ^TLjratitude !  Picture  him,  bow- 
'ig  under-jaw,  twelve  years  of 
'  -lo  need  to  name  the  breed : 
)'"'^'  on  every  feature,  —  yellow- 
".c,  with  his  off  eye  tinged  with 
soot.  Where  the  bull  began,  and  the  dog 
ended,  I  cannot  tell.  I  don't  know  what  his 
mother  was,  but  he  was  bull.  A  wheezy  kind 
of  grunt  first  attracted  my  attention.  What 
matterec)  '•■  ?  Poor  tellow,  he  has  a  cold.  What 
.Tiore  naii^a: :  He  had  wriggled  behind  our 
horses  all  the  way  up  the  hill.  In  the  garden 
he  changed  his  upper  notes,  becoming  more 
guttural ;  which  tempted  mine  host  to  hazard 
the  question  of  the  Chinaman  in  charge,  if  there 


U'? 


legged,  pr-: 
age,  no  il -L 
the  bull  is  stan 
eyed,  white-cu". 


122 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


11 


were  any  hogs  on  the  place.  Finally  we  con- 
cluded, that,  considering  the  wind's  course,  we 
need  have  no  fear  as  to  th  '^p  blocking  us 
from  our  road  back  the  next  rrn,        ig. 

Now  arose  the  question :  Shall  Schnapps  re- 
main out  in  the  cold  night  air,  or  sleep  inside  ? 
"  Poor  chap,"  said  I :   "  let's  have  him  in." 
"  Yes,"  said  Schulze  :  "  I'll  rig  up  a  bed  in  my 


room. 


Suiting  the  act  to  the  word,  he  threw  a  piece 
of  old  carpet  on  the  floor.  But  no  :  Schnapps 
trotted  across  to  my  room,  and  lay  deceptively 
quiet  on  the  rug  at  my  bedside. 

Out  went  the  light,  and  I  lay  facing  the  par- 
tially open  window ;  the  moon  stealing  in,  with 
the  long  line  of  flaring  pines  gleaming  like  a 
furnace  in  the  darkness.  My  fancy  began  to 
wander ;  when  suddenly  something  like  distant 
thunder  fell  upon  my  dozing  senses,  like  what 
Rip  Van  Winkle  heard  when  the  Catskill  gob- 
lins played  at  ninepins  with  dead  men's  skulls. 
Starting  up,  I  saw  Schnapps  turning  in  his 
sleep,  every  movement  of  his  body  clearly  de- 
fined in  the  moonbeams  ;  a  bronchitis-like  clear- 
ing of  the  throat,  with  an  upheaving  of  his  hind 
quarters.  Then  he  slipped  around  the  bed, 
eyed  me  with  his  malarious  yellow  eyes,  gazed 
at  the  moon,  tried  various  acrobatic  stretching 
performances,   arched    his   back,   fell    over   my 


SAN  FRANCISCO    TO   ASTORIA. 


123 


boots,  and  inadvertently  overturned  the  water- 
jug,  the  contents  of  which  he  proceeded  to  lap 
up  with  a  gurgling  sound,  like  water  escaping 
through  the  vent  of  a  wash-basin,  and  then  pro- 
ceeded to  calm  himself  to  rest,  which  meant 
circling  around  several  times  in  various  parts 
of  the  room,  each  revolution  being  followed  by 
a  flop,  like  Mark  Twain's  jumping-frog.  My 
attempts  to  soothe  were  followed  by  threats  of 
his  bony  appendage,  sounding  like  the  pulsa- 
tions of  a  donkey-engine. 

Again  I  began  to  doze,  and  again  night  be- 
came hideous.  I  got  mad,  seized  the  candle, 
and  hurled  it  so  successfully  as  to  just  strike  the 
tip  of  his  tail.  That  settled  it :  he  just  chewed 
the  candle  as  if  it  had  been  spruce  gum,  and 
then  lay  down. 

Presently  I  felt  an  upheaval  of  my  bed,  and, 
starting  up,  found  the  beast  raising  up  his 
back  under  my  low-lying  mattress.  I  could 
stand  it  no  longer.  Seizing  the  brute  by  the 
scruff  of  the  neck,  I  hauled  him  over  the 
matting,  his  fore-paws  spread  out  in  resistance. 
Catching  the  straw  at  every  scrape,  and  half 
pulling,  half  liCting,  I  got  him  into  my  friend's 
room,  — who  had  imagined  all  the  time  that  he 
was  hearing  my  gambols,  and  not  the  dog's, 
who  had  on  former  occasions  conducted  himself 
properly.     Out  into  the  night  went  Schnapps ; 


r 


II 


124 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


and  towards  two  o'clock  we  again  turned  in, 
and  soon  fell  asleep,  lulled  to  rest  by  the  dis- 
tant breathing  of  our  cunning  foe. 

All  went  well,  until,  towards  three,  1  started 
up,  and  seized  my  five-shooter,  hearing  one  of 
the  most  unearthly  yells,  that  even  a  madhouse 
could  not  equal.  Looking  tov/ards  the  window, 
I  beheld  in  the  moonlight  Schnapps  standing 
on  hi;5  hind-legs,  his  head  thrust  through  the 
open  fibsure  of  the  window,  caught  like  a  mouse 
in  a  trap.  Extricating  him,  I  shut  that  window, 
and  spent  what  remained  of  the  night  dreaming 
oi  wheezing,  asthmatic  curs  sitting  on  my  bed- 
post, and  regarding  me  with  bilious  eyes. 

dth.  —  Returning  down  the  mountain,  we 
took  a  short  canter  up  the  other  road,  and  wit- 
nessed the  result  of  last  night's  destruction. 
Huge  trees  lay  across  the  path  ;  and  pines,  still 
burning,  ominously  burst  and  creaked  occasion- 
ally, as  if  to  give  warning  of  their  imminent 
downfall.  Spent  the  remaining  portion  of  the 
day  in  riding  round  the  town. 


THE    WILLAMETTE    VALLEY. 


125 


CHAPTER  XV. 


THE    WILLAMETTE    VALLEY.  — OREGON    AND     CALI- 
FORNIA  RAILROAD. 

On  the  7th  of  July  we  left  Portland  by  the 
Oregon  and  California  Railroad  (which  will 
soon  connect  with  San  P>ancisco),  to  go  up  the 
Willamette  Valley  as  far  as  Glendale,  the  pres- 
ent terminus  of  the  road,  two  hundred  and 
sixty-two  miles  from  Portland.  Capt.  Mitchell, 
chief  clerk  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Land  Depart- 
ment, escorted  us,  and  was  very  agreeable  and 
useful. 

vVe  went  in  the  president's  private  car,  for- 
merly owned  by  the  well-known  Ben  Halliday, 
the  pioneer  railroad-king.  The  car  afforded 
every  facility  and  accommodation  for  sleeping 
and  dining,  with  lounges  and  sofas  for  the  day- 
time. Two  boxes  of  Roederer  and  good  claret 
were  on  board,  so  that  we  all  lived  in  luxury. 

For  a  long  distance  the  valley  is  level  and 
productive.  The  road  passes  through  Salem 
the  capital  of  Oregon,  and  the  town  is  pleas- 
antly situated  in  a  fertile  region :  it  is  fifty-four 
miles  south  from  Portland. 


if 


'li 


'      i 


I 


I 


126 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


'lis 


Beyond  Springfield,  some  one  hundred  and 
thirty  miles  from  Portland,  the  mountain  region 
begins,  and  the  road  is  very  crooked.  At  Glen- 
dale  a  tunnel  of  about  three  thousand  feet  was 
being  made  through  the  mountains,  and  the 
process  of  boring  with  diamond  drills  and  com- 
pressed air  we  saw  in  perfection. 

It  was  curious  to  see  here,  in  the  lone  moun- 
tain woods,  so  many  new  houses,  so  new  that 
the  sawdust  was  still  clinging  to  the  boards. 
Small  they  were  indeed,  but  they  had  great 
names  and  many  occupants.  One  had  a  sign 
in  large  black  letters,  "Palace  Hotel ;"  another, 
"  California  House ; "  and  several  more,  high- 
sounding  names.  The  occupants  were  laborers 
on  the  railroad.  There  were  white  men,  Chi- 
nese, squaws,  and  one  white  woman  with  a 
baby  in  her  lap. 

Mr.  Burick,  a  Scotchman,  a  superintendent 
of  the  road,  joined  us.  He  had  long  years  of 
experience  with  Chinese  laborers,  and  he  re- 
lated to  us  many  particulars  of  the  way  the 
Chinese  leave  their  sick  to  die.  So  strange 
and  ui natural  did  it  seem,  that,  meeting  Gov. 
Chad  ick  at  dinner  that  evening,  my  father 
repeated  Mr.  Burick's  statements  ;  and  the  gov- 
ernor confirmed  them.  Subsequently  we  heard 
similar  statements  respecting  the  Chinese,  from 
a  dozen  men  at  least. 


THE    WILLAMETTE    VALLEY. 


127 


Since  returning  to  New  York,  I  have  talked 
with  three  gentlemen  who  lived  in  China :  two 
of  them  believed  what  was  told  us  about  the 
neglect  of  the  Chinese  towards  the  hopelessly 
sick  or  maimed,  but  one  doubted.  Another 
added,  that  if  you  would  place  the  same  number 
of  the  same  class  of  citizens  from  this  country, 
in  China,  and  let  them  be  compelled  to  suffer 
the  same  privations,  they  would  be  no  more 
considerate  of  each  other. 

At  a  funeral,  the  corpse  is  borne  on  a  litter, 
exposed.  Several  men  sprinkle  little  papers 
along  the  road,  as  a  trail  for  the  departed  to 
return  home.  At  the  grave,  a  roast-pig  is 
placed  crossways,  with  other  eatables,  and 
lighted  pieces  of  punk  to  chase  away  the  evil 
spirit ;  and  hired  mourners  stand  near,  uttering 
nasal  cries  of  supposed  anguish.  It  is  said 
that  sneak-thieves  occasionally  after  the  cere- 
mony go  to  the  grave,  and  steal  the  roast-pig. 

At  Salem,  the  capital  of  Oregon,  we  learned 
that  seventeen  convicts  had  escaped  from  the 
city  jail  only  two  nights  previous :  four  were 
killed,  and  six  captured,  the  remaining  seven 
being  still  at  large.  As  they  had  taken  refuge 
among  the  mountain  fastnesses,  were  well  armed, 
and  possessed  plenty  of  food,  their  seizure  was 
despaired  of. 

On  this  trip  we  were  told,  that,  in  the  early 


m 


II 


■^1  ■■' 


128 


FA'OM  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


days  of  Oregon,  Congress  passed  a  law  to 
favor  the  more  rapid  settlement  of  the  Terri- 
tory, giving  every  settler  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  land,  and  every  settler  with  a 
wife  six  hundred  and  forty  acres.  Women  were 
very  scarce  :  and  to  get  the  double  portion  many 
men  married  Indian  women,  and  three  men 
married  one  squaw  ;  they  each  kept  the  land, 
but  neither  kept  the  squaw. 

All  along  the  valley  we  found  the  smoke 
from  forest- fires,  which  had  produced  and  were 
producing  great  destruction. 

Having  returned  to  Portland,  we  saw  Judge 
Deady,  United-States  district  judge.  He  was 
one  of  the  original  men  of  1849,  but  differed 
from  most  in  foreseeing  the  ruin  which  the 
gold-fever  would  produce  ;  for  which  reason  he 
settled  in  Oregon,  rather  than  California,  his 
earliest  convictions  being  that  gold  discovered 
in  a  region  brought  more  evil  than  good,  and 
that  the  same  labor  devoted  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits would  produce  far  happier  results.  This 
view  has  been  corroborated  by  many  persons 
during  our  stay. 

We  dined  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Koehler,  where 
we  spent  a  pleasant  evening  ;  Mr.  Dolph,  sen- 
ator from  Oregon,  being  among  the  guests. 


THROUGH  PUGET  SOUND    TO    VICTORIA.      1 29 


CHAPTER   XVI. 


PASSING  THROUGH  PUGET  30UND  TO  VICTORIA.— 
VICTORIA.  —  BRITISH  COLUMBIA.  —  THE  TREATY 
SURRENDERING  THE  LINE  OF  54°  40'.  — BIG  CLAMS. 
—  VANCOUVER'S   ISLAND. 

We  took  a  steamer  in  the  early  morning  of 
the  13th  of  July,  went  down  the  Willamette 
twelve  miles  to  the  Columbia  River,  then  down 
the  Columbia  as  far  as  Kalama,  where  we  took 
the  rail  for  Tacoma  on  Puget  Sound.  Tacoma 
is  on  a  very  high  sand-bluff.  The  dock  is  at 
its  base,  where  there  is  a  good  hotel.  Here 
we  took  the   steamer  "  Northern    Pacific "  for 

Victoria. 

The  country  from  Kalama  to  Tacoma  is  mostly 
a  gravel  soil,  and  barren  along  the  road. 

Mount  Tacoma,  some  sixty  miles  to  our  right, 
a  high  and  lone  snow  mountain,  was  often  in 
sight,  and  is  very  splendid. 

From  Portland  to  Kalama  (by  boat)  is  thirty- 
eight  miles. 

From  Kalama  to  Tacoma  (by  rail)  is  one 
hundred  and  five  miles. 


>« 


130 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


v! 


' 


I 


Li 


iia 


From  Tacoma  to  Victoria  (by  boat)  is  one 
hundred  and  seventeen  miles. 

We  now  sailed  through  Puget  Sound  and  the 
Straits  of  Fuca,  to  Victoria  on  Vancouver's 
Island  —  which  ought  to  belong  to  the  United 
States,  and  which,  if  we  had  stuck  to  our  claim 
of  54°  40',  would  not  now  have  left  Alaska 
without  its  touching  the  United  States  at  any 
point,  and  so  situated  that  we  cannot  reach 
it  without  the  permission  of  England,  except 
through  a  long  rough  voyage  over  the  Pacific 
Ocean  (see  map). 

Puget  Sound  is  formed  by  the  waters  of 
the  Pacific  Ocean,  which,  running  through  the 
Straits  of  Fuca,  extend  some  ninety-eight  miles 
in  deep,  narrow  inlets,  down  into  Washington 
Territory. 

Commodore  Wilkes,  on  his  exploring  expedi- 
tion, went  into  the  sound  with  his  two  ships. 
He  says  of  the  sound,  in  his  history  of  the 
expedition :  — 

"  Nothing  can  exceed  the  beauty  of  these  waters, 
and  their  safety.  Not  a  shoal  exists  within  the 
Straits  of  Juan  de  Fuca,  Admiralty  Inlet,  Puget 
Sound,  or  Hood's  Canal,  that  can  in  any  way  inter- 
rupt their  navigation  by  a  seventy-four-gun  ship,  I 
venture  nothing  in  saying  that  there  is  no  country 
in  the  world  possessing  waters  equal  to  these." 

Gov.  Stevens,  who  was  assigned  by  the  gov- 


I 
1 11 

I 


THROUGH  PUGET  SOUND    TO    VICTORIA.      I3I 

ernment  to  explore  Puget  Sound,  thus  describes 
this  marvellous  body  of  water  :  — 

"All  the  water-channels  are  comparatively  narrow 
and  long.  They  have  all  more  or  less  bold  shores, 
and  are  throughout  very  deep  and  abrupt,  so  much 
so  that  in  many  places  a  ship's  side  will  strike  the 
shore  before  the  keel  will  touch  the  ground.  Even  in 
the  interior  and  most  hidden  parts,  depths  of  fifty 
a*  ne  hundred  fathoms  occur  as  broad  as  De  Fuca 
S  itself.     Nothing  can  exceed   the   beauty  and 

safety  of  these  waters  for  navigation.  Not  a  shoal 
exists  within  them  ;  not  a  hidden  rock ;  )io  sudden 
overfalls  of  the  water  or  the  air ;  no  such  strong 
flaws  of  the  wind  as  in  other  narrow  waters,  for  in- 
stance, as  in  those  of  Magellan's  Strait.  And  there 
are  in  this  region  so  many  excellent  and  most  secure 
ports,  that  the  commercial  marine  of  the  Pacific 
Ocean  may  be  here  easily  accommodated." 

Through  Puget  Sound,  for  a  hundred  miles 
or  more,  we  have  lake  scenery  which  cannot  be 
surpassed  in  the  world.  The  waters  are  deep, 
clear,  still,  and  beautiful.  Forest-trees  of  ever- 
green are  on  the  shores,  and  no  marshy  banks  to 
mar  the  scene;  and  the  high  Olympian  Moun- 
tains in  the  west  loom  high,  covered  with  snow. 

The  first  thing  I  did  on  arrival  at  Tacoma 
was  to  inquire  for  clams :  they  had  none,  to  my 
great  disappointment.  Gen.  McCook  had  told 
us,  when  at  Salt  Lake,  of  the  enormous  clams 
at  Puget  Sound.     On  the  way  I  had  said, — 


IS2 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE   7V  ALASKA. 


%-v. 


il 


*'  We  shall  now  see  some  clams  weighing 
fifteen  pounds." 

My  father  had  replied,  "  My  boy,  I  will  give 
you  five  dollars  each  for  every  clam  which  you 
will  show  me  weighing  fifteen  pounds." 

"  Don't  you  credit  Gen.  McCook  ?  "  said  I. 

"  Yes :  I  believe  the  Q-eneral  has  eaten  clams 
of  that  size  at  Puget  Sound,  because  he  says 
so  ;  but  I  do  not  believe  there  are  any  more 
such.  It  takes  a  big  baby  to  weigh  fifteen 
pounds." 

I  did  believe  ;  and  since  —  somehow  or 
other  not  easy  to  explain  —  my  pocket-money 
had  all  slipped  away  at  Portland,  I  was  actu- 
ally "  strapped,"  and  wanted  to  replenish  ;  and 
I  relied  upon  the  clams.  But  I  was  told  at 
Tacoma  that  there  were  no  such  clams  unless 
at  Olympia,  and  that  the  big  clams  were  never 
found  except  at  low  tide  in  June.  We  were  not 
going  to  Olympia,  and  my  financial  prospects 
grew  sickly.  I  persisted,  however ;  and,  on 
reaching  Port  Townsend,  I  found  a  man  from 
Olympia,  and  inquired  about  the  "  big  clams." 
He  said  that  he  had  often  seen  them  ;  that  they 
grew  in  deep  water  ;  that  they  were  very  fat, 
and  their  meat  protruded  far  out  of  the  shell, 
and  was  very  delicate.  My  father  asked  ho^v 
large  they  were,  and  the  man  began  to  give 
their  size  by  an  expansion  of  his  hands.     "  But 


THROUGH  PUGET  SOUND    TO    VICTORIA.      13J 


how  much  would  they  weigh  ?  "  my  father  re- 
peated. After  mature  deHberation,  the  man 
said,  "  I  really  think  that  I  have  seen  them 
weigh — four  pounds!''  evidently  doubting 
whether  we  would  believe  him. 

But  at  Departure  Bay  we  met  a  man  of  more 
exalted  mind,  or  of  m.ore  faith  in  confiding 
natures,  who  said  that  he  had  seen  clams  in 
Puget  Sound  which  would  weigh  twenty-two 
pounds.  I  coul  1  not  find  the  clams,  and  my 
finances  remained  low. 

Vancouver's  Island  lies  along  the  coast  of 
British  Columbia  ;  is  separated  from  the  main- 
land by  Queen  Charlotte  Sound  and  the  Straits 
of  F'uca.  It  is  situate  between  48°  20'  and  50'' 
55'  north  latitude,  and  123°  10' and  128°  20' 
west  longitude.  It  is  three  hundred  miles  long, 
with  an  area  of  eighteen  thousand  square  miles, 
—  larger   than    the   States    of    Massachusetts, 

o 

Rhode  Island,  Connecticut,  ana  Delaware  com- 
bined. 

The  best  of  iron-ores  as  well  as  coal  are  found 
in  abundance  ;  gold,  silver,  copper,  and  lead 
are  also  found  in  increasing  quantities.  The 
crops  are  chiefly  hay,  wheat,  barley,  oats,  and 
pease  ;  but  turnips  of  all  kinds,  and  potatoes  of 
unsurpassed  excellence,  as  well  as  many  fruits, 
grow  abundantly.  The  land  is  well  stocked 
with  game,  and  the  surrounding  waters  are  filled 


134 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


\  it' 


I- 1 


I 

^*3 


with  almost  every  kind  of  fish.  The  qur.ntlty 
of  arable  land  is  comparatively  small ;  but  the 
forests  are  extensive,  and  furnish  most  valuable 
kinds  of  wood.  The  Douglas  pines  and  the 
immense  cedars  are  exceedingly  valuable. 

The  scenery  is  varied  and  beautiful,  and  the 
summer  climate  is  charming  ;  the  winter  is  not 
cold,  —  84°  Fah.  being  the  maximum,  and  22^* 
the  minimum,  for  the  year. 

Victoria,  the  capital,  is  delightfully  situated^ 
and  commands  the  sea.  The  roads  are  excel- 
lent, and  the  drives  along  the  shore  and  around 
the  lakes  are  unsurpassed.  It  is  quite  a  sum- 
mer resort,  on  account  of  its  salubrious  air ; 
and  here  British  ships  of  war  find  a  pleasant 
station. 

We  were  obliged  to  remain  here  some  days, 
waiting  the  arrival  of  the  "  Eureka  "  from  San 
Francisco,  a  steamer  of  the  Oregon  Railway 
zrA  Navigation  Line,  which  was  to  take  us  to 
Alaska.  Gov.  Cornwall,  the  governor  of  British 
Columbia,  drove  us  about  the  country ;  and  we 
dined  at  the  Government  House,  where  we  met 
Mrs.  Cornwall,  her  sister  Miss  Pemberton, 
Chief  Justice  Sir  Matthew  Bigbie,  and  others. 
Admiral  Lyon  and  Capt.  Aicheson  of  the  war 
steamer  "  Swift-sure  "  called  upon  us  ;  and  we 
were  entertained  at  a  ball  on  the  ship,  where 
we  saw  many  very  agreeable  people. 


THROUGH  PUGET  SOUND    TO    VICTORIA.      1 35 


While  dining  at  the  Government  House,  the 
chief  justice  called  my  father's  attention  to  the 
difficulty  now  existing,  and  likely  to  increase, 
about  transferring  prisoners  through  British 
waters  from  Alaska  and  other  places,  and  sug- 
gested that  we  needed  a  treaty.  My  father 
suggested,  that  an  easy  way  out  of  the  difficulty 
was  to  transfer  Vancouver's  Island  and  the  ad- 
jacent waters  to  the  United  States ;  but  the 
chief  justice  thought  it  would  be  better  to  an- 
nex Alaska  to  British  Columbia. 

In  this  prettily-laid-out  city  of  over  seven 
thousand  inhabitants,  with  its  well-kept  roads, 
we  felt  as  if  living  in  England  ;  and  I  was  the 
more  forcibly  struck  with  the  idea  of  being  in 
a  foreign  city,  on  finding,  this  afternoon,  that 
American  stamps  were  useless  for  postage. 

The  name  of  Sir  James  Douglas  is  quite  one 
of  the  revered  memories  of  the  place ;  and  a 
monument  stands  near  the  Government  Build- 
ings, as  a  landmark,  recalling  one  of  Victoria's 
earliest  governors  from  1851-1864,  who  died  in 
1877,  honored  by  the  people  whom  in  earlier 
days  he  used  to  defend  against  the  encroach- 
ments of  hostile  Indians. 

The  "  Swift-sure  "  is  the  admiral-ship  of  the 
fleet,  carries  five  hundred  and  fifteen  men  and 
sixty  officers. 

The  antics  of  a  pet  black  bear-cub,  a  few  weeks 


f  ! 


136 


FROM  FIFTH  A  I'ENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


If  ^ 


If       :H 


U  ■•! 


i 


old,  gave  us  some  amusement,  as  we  made  him 
stand  up  on  his  hind-legs  for  cherries.  His 
teeth  were  already  sharp  enough  to  pierce  my 
glove,  and  in  this  practical  way  I  had  a  foretaste 
of  the  real  thing.  It  was  ludicrous  to  watch 
him  climb  like  a  cat  over  the  ship,  and  go 
down  the  companion-way  hind-quarters  first. 

This  princely  possession  we  threw  away  by 
the  treaty  of  June  15,  1846,  and  allowed  Eng- 
land to  take  it ;  to  her  invaluable,  and,  since 
we  have  acquired  Alaska,  to  us  a  necessity. 
Through  our  blunder  in  that  stupid  treaty,  we 
are  severed  from  Alaska,  and  Great  Britain  has 
possession  of  fine  harbors  on  the  Pacific,  and 
will  soon  send  her  railway-cars  to  the  great 
ocean,  and  dispute  with  us  the  trade  of  China 
and  Japan,  and  the  transcontinental  traffic  of 
North  America. 

During  the  administration  of  James  K.  Polk 
of  Tennessee,  the  question  of  the  north-western 
boundary  between  British  Columbia  and  the 
United  States  arose.  Congressional  records 
prove  that  we  claimed  to  go  to  the  Russian 
Possessions,  in  north  latitude  54°  40' ;  and  it 
was  shown  by  maps,  in  the  archives  of  Holland, 
that  our  claim  was  well  founded.  During 
the  public  discussion  about  this  boundary,  the 
debates  in  Congress  and  the  columns  of  the 
leading  journals  of  the  country  defiantly  pro- 


THROUGH  PUGET  SOUND    TO    VICTORIA.      1 37 


claimed  that  we  would  insist  on  that  boundary, 
or  go  to  war.  "  Fifty-four  forty,  or  fight," 
rang  throughout  the  country. 

But  James  K.  Polk  of  Tennessee  was  presi- 
dent, and  James  Buchanan  was  secretary  of 
state.  The  South  was  in  the  ascendant.  The 
slavery  question  was  already  agitated  ;  and  the 
dominant  South  did  not  wish  to  extend  our  free 
territory,  but,  on  the  contrary,  were  beginning 
to  claim  that  much  of  it  which  was  then  free 
should  be  subjected  to  slavery.  This  popular 
cry  of  "  Fifty- four  forty,  or  fight,"  was  hushed. 

James  Buchanan,  secretary  of  state,  and 
Richard  Pakenham  the  British  minister  at 
Washington,  concluded  a  treaty  in  June,  1846, 
which  ought  to  have  made  the  minister  a  duke, 
and  placed  the  secretary  in  disgrace.  The  ad- 
vantage obtained  for  England  by  this  j'^ea'-y  is 
incalculable,  and  was  largely  foreseen  by  British 
statesmen  at  the  time ;  and  the  imbecility  of  it 
on  our  part  is  just  beginning  to  be  seen  by  our 
countrymen,  Mr.  Seward  felt  it  keenly  when 
he  secured  Alaska  for  the  United  States. 

Instead  of  insisting  upon  54°  40'  as  our 
northern  Pacific  line,  to  which  we  had  an  un- 
doubted right,  this  treaty  provides  that  we  take 
the  humiliation  of  even  bending  oui  line  of 
49°  (running  between  the  United  States  and 
Canada)  down  through   <^he   channel,  and  out 


138 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  A    ASKA. 


through  the  Straits  of  Fuca,  in  order  to  give 
England  the  whole  of  Vancouver's  Island,  — 
priceless  in  value  to  England,  and  proportion- 
ally detrimental  to  American  interests,  as  time 
is  only  too  fast  demonstrating. 

We  had  a  visit  from  our  worthy  consul,  Mr. 
Francis,  who  is  largely  respected  in  Victoria ; 
and  we  were  pleasantly  entertained  by  the  con- 
sul and  Mrs.  Francis.  They  gave  us  some  ex- 
cellent port  direct  from  Portugal.  Mrs.  Francis 
brought  down,  with  pardonable  womanly  pride, 
an  old  dressing-gown  which  Secretary  Seward, 
when  on  a  visit,  had  left  behind,  and  written 
them  to  keep. 

Chinamen  are  very  numerous  in  Victoria,  as 
elsewhere  on  the  Pacific  Coast.  At  the  Driard 
House,  where  we  staid.  Chinamen  were  the 
chambermaids,  the  laundresses,  the  porters,  etc. 
We  learned  their  character  from  many  people ; 
and  the  statements  were  uniform,  —  that  they 
are  industrious,  patient,  and  enduring ;  not 
able  to  do  nearly  so  much  hard  work  as  a  white 
man ;  excellent  house-servants ;  never  drink, 
but  smoke  opium  ;  are  cunning,  secretive,  and 
treacherous  at  times ;  will  not  steal  silver  or 
large  articles,  but  will  pilfer  many  little  things  ; 
will  file  the  coin,  and  melt  the  filings ;  have 
strange  whims,  and  will  without  any  imaginable 
reason  leave  the  house,  even  while  you  have  a 


THROUGH  PUGET  SOUND    TO    VICTORIA.      1 39 


I 


party  to  dinner,  and  will  leave  a  secret  mark  in 
the  house  which  every  other  Chinaman  will 
understand,  but  never  explain ;  attentive  and 
faithful  enough  to  each  other  generally,  but 
utterly  neglectful  to  any  one  whose  illness  or 
accident  seemed  likely  to  prove  fatal,  —  thus 
confirming  all  that  we  had  heard  in  Oregon  of 
this  strange  people,  who  never  look  happy  nor 
very  unhappy. 

At  Nanimo,  the  port  of  entry  at  Vancouver's 
Island,  we  met  Mr.  Johnson,  who  is  largely  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  iron  in  Washing- 
ton Territory.  He  complained  that  the  new 
tariff  tended  to  destroy  a  great  industry  of  the 
North-west ;  that  it  imposed  a  duty  of  seventy- 
five  cents  a  ton  upon  the  magnetic  ores  mined 
in  Vancouver's,  which  were  necessary  to  mingle 
with  the  ores  of  Washington  Territory,  in  order 
to  produce  a  good  iron ;  and  he  thought  this 
an  illustration  of  the  mischief  which  "  a  protec- 
tive tariff"  may  sometimes  produce.  He  men- 
tioned an  accidental  discovery  of  a  valuable 
mass  of  bog-ore,  which  he  made  in  wading  into 
a  river  to  unloose  a  fish-hook  that  had  caught 
in  the  roots :  in  going  in  with  bare  feet,  he 
stepped  upon  something  which  felt  unlike  any 
thing  of  which  he  had  knowledge,  and  it  turned 
out  to  be  a  piece  of  an  excellent  and  extremely 
valuable  ore. 


I40 


FROM  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


On  our  journey  we  found  it  necessary  to  sail 
to  the  east  of  Vancouver's  Island,  through  Brit- 
ish waters,  towards  Cape  Fox,  the  first  land  we 
make  in  Alaska. 

Alaska  commences  at  54°  40',  on  the  north 
shore  of  Dixon  Inlet. 

If,  in  the  boundary  settlement  above  men- 
tioned, we  had  secured  the  line  of  54°  40',  the 
purchase  of  Alaska  from  Russia,  made  in  1867, 
would  have  given  us  uninterrupted  dominion 
on  the  Pacific  Ocean,  from  the  lower  line  of 
California  to  the  Arctic  Ocean ;  and  neither 
Great  Britain  nor  any  other  power  save  the 
United  States  could  have  a  seaport  on  the 
Pacific  north  of  South  California.  The  Ameri- 
can statesmen  who  believed  in  the  justice  of 
our  claim  to  54°  40',  and  insisted  upon  our 
maintenance  of  it,  were  wise ;  and  the  English 
st?^csmen  who  foresaw  the  effect  of  yielding  to 
our  demand  were  equally  sagacious,  and  they 
excelled  us  in  diplomacy. 

The  boundary-line  between  British  Columbia 
and  the  United  States,  and  also  between  British 
Columbia  anduhe  Territory  of  Alaska,  appears 
on  the  accompanying  map. 


ta;; 


mm^i^ 


i!W>pi«§iw 


VICTORIA    TO  ALASKA. 


141 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


FROM  VICTORIA   TO   ALASKA,   STEAMER  "EUREKA." 

On  the  19th  of  July  the  steamer  arrived 
which  was  to  take  us  to  Alaska,  —  the  ill-fated 
"  Eureka ;  "  being  so  called  from  the  fact  of  her 
having  been  wrecked  last  voyage  while  passing 
through  Peril  Straits,  latitude  57°  24',  longitude 
135°  29'.  Her  tonnage  is  454;  foremast  and 
mizzen  rakish  build,  and  modelled  like  a  yacht, 
speed  eleven  and  a  half  knots,  flush  deck,  keel 
two  and  a  half  feet,  lies  five  feet  by  her  stern, 
length  one  hundred  and  eighty-six  feet  nine 
inches,  brigantine  rigged. 

With  an  exceptionally  favorable  trip,  a  good 
wind  astern,  every  hope  of  soon  having  her 
bow  pointed  homeward,  the  ship  "  Eureka,"  the 
26th  of  May,  1883,  at  11.50  a.m.,  while  passing 
through  this  dangerous  channel  of  struggling 
waters,  struck  an  unknown  rock :  she  speedily 
listed  on  her  port  side,  and  rapidly  began  to  fill. 

The  captain  was  on  the  bridge  at  the  moment 
of  striking :  all  hands  went  to  their  posts,  and 
every  order  was   obeyed  with   despatch.     The 


142 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


'i~-  i 


!  i 


V 


*       ' 


3s 


P    1' 


:    .4 


passengers  soon  came  on  deck,  having  encircled 
themselves  with  life-preservers  ;  and  the  fat  cook 
came  rushing  out  of  the  companion  stairs. 
Every  eye  was  on  Capt.  Hunter. 

The  water,  which  had  to  pass  through  the 
coal  ballast,  at  first  filtered  through  slowly,  and 
then  gurgled  in  with  a  rush.  Word  came  from 
the  engine-room,  that  the  coal-heavers  had  been 
driven  from  their  posts.  Three  minutes  later 
engineers  were  working  up  to  their  waists. 
Twelve  minutes  passed  by :  she  began  to  settle 
at  the  bow. '  Every  possible  degree  of  speed 
was  given  her.  The  captain  strained  his  eyes 
in  vain  for  a  spot  to  beach  her.  Both  sides, 
narrow  and  treacherous,  frowned  upon  him,  re- 
pelling all  search  for  aid.  The  cry  came,  "  Cove 
ahead,  sir ! "  and  just  as  the  swelling  water 
reached  under  the  arms  of  the  second  engineer, 
she  was  run  aground. 

All  possible  provisions  were  landed,  boats 
lowered  from  the  davits,  papers  and  documents 
saved,  every  possible  thing  of  most  value  hur- 
ried from  the  wrecked  vessel. 

Beached  at  low  tide,  the  water  slowly  rose, 
until,  inch  by  inch,  the  ship  slowly  vanished ; 
and  when  the  sun  set,  and  the  cool  night  air 
came  rushing  through  the  gorges,  only  the  top 
of  her   bowsprit   and   the   tip  of  her  foremast 


were  vis 


ible. 


VICTORIA    TO  ALASKA. 


143 


Here  alone,  in  this  far  north  latitude  of 
Alaska,  stranded  on  an  isolated  shore,  these 
few  men  began  their  weary  sojourn,  which 
lasted  forty-two  days  before  the  necessary  di- 
vers arrived  from  San  Francisco. 

The  United-States  man-of-war  "  Adams,"  un- 
der Capt.  Merriman,  was  eighty  miles  off.  Sev- 
eral of  the  crew  took  a  small  boat  and  a  despatch 
from  Capt.  Hunter  to  the  "  Adams,"  which 
Commander  Merriman  conveyed  to  San  Fran- 
cisco. Four  days  later  the  little  steam-tug 
arrived  from  Juneau,  some  eighty-five  miles 
distant,  and  took  off  twenty-three  miners  and 
traders  to  their  northern  destinations. 

For  these  many  weeks  Capt.  Hunter  and  his 
crew  camped  on  this  wild  shore.  Indians  came 
and  pitched  their  tents ;  wild  beasts  prowled 
round  the  fires  ;  and  during  the  twilight,  eagles 
and  crows  wheeled  above  them  as  if  they  ex- 
pected, at  no  distant  time,  a  goodly  feast.  All 
worked  hard.  The  wreck  was  visited  fre- 
quently, cables  fastened  to  the  trees,  and  every 
expedient  used  to  prevent  her  drifting  off,  or 
grinding  herself  to  pieces.  So  through  the 
long  nightless  days  they  waited,  building  them- 
selves rough  huts,  and  telling  their  same  old 
jokes  and  tales  around  the  fire,  fishing  for  hali- 
but and  cod,  and  occasionally  bringing  down  an 
eagle,  until  the  divers  arrived  with  all  necessa- 
ries and  a  good  supply  of  food. 


144 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


V  ;> 


I 


f! 


The  damage  was  found  to  be  six  feet  on  lier 
stern,  and  forty  feet  off  her  keel,  from  which 
one  can  judge  the  immense  force  of  the  collis- 
ion. The  usual  charge  for  divers  is  some  forty 
dollars  an  hour,  but  the  whole  labor  had  been 
contracted  for  at  four  thousand  dollars.  The 
work  needed  two  divers,  and  lasted  just  one 
month. 

The  life  of  an  experienced  diver,  even  with 
all  precaution,  is  full  of  danger ;  and  when  the 
wreck  or  treasure  to  be  recovered  is  a  great 
distance  under  the  sea,  should  the  air-pump  be 
unworked  for  even  a  moment,  the  diver's  life 
would  be  extinguished  like  the  flame  of  a 
candle. 

After  being  raised,  the  "  Eureka"  was  taken 
to  San  Francisco,  and  at  the  end  of  nine  days 
her  damages  were  repaired,  and  by  using  all 
haste  connection  was  made ;  and  to-night,  the 
19th  of  July,  1883,  we  are  sitting  in  her  little 
cabin,  a  dim  oil-lamp  lighting  up  the  face  of 
the  purser  as  he  slowly  tells  us  the  preceding 
narrative  of  our  ship's  mishap. 

Whether  or  not  the  accident  had  dissuaded 
tourists  from  taking  this  voyage  to  Northern 
Alaska,  I  am  unable  to  say.  Be  that  as  it  may, 
we  had  the  choice  of  any  or  all  the  staterooms. 
But  as  the  smell  of  the  new  paint  met  us  on  all 
sides,  the  fear  of  sickness,  combined  with  the 


VICTORIA    TO  ALASKA. 


145 


,, 


solitary  feeling  that  we  should  be  afloat  all  by 
ourselves  for  several  weeks,  without  change  or 
intercourse  with  the  civilized  world,  was  not 
agreeable ;  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  hope  of 
viewing  the  inland  seas,  aurora  bnrealis,  vast 
glaciers,  —  grander  and  larger  than  any  in  Nor- 
way or  Switzerland,  —  the  sun  at  night,  and 
majestic  mountains  rising  precipitately  from  the 
water's  edge,  we  might  have  been  dissuaded 
from  starting.  However,  casting  off  the  cables, 
we  steamed  away  from  Victoria  toward  nightfall, 
and  left  this  pleasant  little  city  in  our  wake. 

Before  going  to  sleep,  I  )aced  the  deck  with 
the  chief  officer,  Mr.  Burr.  Noticing  that  he 
walked  lame,  I  found  that  only  a  lew  days  be- 
fore he  had  been  on  the  "  Mississippi,"  which 
burned  to  the  water's  edge  at  Seattle  on  Puget 
Sound.  Being  chief  officer,  and  having  to  give 
orders,  he  remained  on  deck  until  the  last 
moment,  shivering  in  a  shirt  and  pair  of  stock- 
ings ;  not  one  of  the  crowd  on  the  wharf  offer- 
ing the  use  of  a  coat.  Just  before  leaving,  he 
remembered  that  a  sick  sailor  lay  asleep ;  and 
while  carrying  him  out  of  the  forecastle  a  piece 
of  timber  fell,  and  struck  him  on  the  ankle,  and 
so  disabled  him.     . 

20th.  —  This  morning  we  reached  Departure 
Bay,  the  coal-station,  and  took  on  board  one 
hundred  and  fifty  tons. 


146 


FROM  FIFTH  AVEWUE    TO   ALASKA. 


The  coal-mines  are  very  extensi.e.  In  min- 
ing the  coal,  in  many  places,  they  are  obliged  to 
dig  through  sulphur  formations,  which  so  in- 
jure the  eyes  that  the  men  cannot  work  longer 
than  one  or  two  hours  a  day.  But  they  made 
the  singular  discovery  that  the  Chinese  miners 
are  not  affected  at  all  by  the  sulphur  fumes,  — 
no  more  singular,  however,  than  is  the  fact  that 
the  poison-oak  of  California  and  the  poison- 
ivy  of  the  North  are  harmless  to  some,  and 
exceedingly  poisonous  to  others.  The  subtile 
differences  in  human  constitutions,  which  ren- 
der some  liable  to  diseases  from  influences 
which  do  not  affect  others,  and  to  be  harmed 
by  fruits  and  other  food  which  may  benefit 
many,  is  ?,  mystery  which  no  science  has  yet 
solved. 


M 


■'Ji'jpvr-^'-'  'A-%- ''^J^'^r'-;^--:^'  ■  ^-r.'" 


ALASKA 

WITH   MAPS   SHOWING   HOW  THE  UNITED   STATES   ARE 

SEVERED  FROM   ALASKA   BY   BRITISH 

COLUMBIA. 


r 


m  '  4 


li-  ii 


ii 


NO.    3. 


NO.    3. 


NORTH     PA 


i 


- .  If, 
I  1 


OCEAN 


m 


ALASKA. 


149 


i  » 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


1 


20',  which,   compared 
some   idea  of  our 


ALASKA.  —  INDIANS.  —  SCENERY.  —  LYNCH-LAW.  —  RE- 
SOURCES. —  CLIMATE,  ETC. 

We  are  now  in  latitude  49" ;  expect  to  reach 
Pyramid  Harbor  in  Northern  Alaska,  latitude 
59°  12',  longitude  135 
with  New  York,  will  give 
northern  course. 

The  Indians,  in  loading  or  unloading  here 
(the  whites  being  scarce),  require  just  as  much 
pay  as  white  men,  while  the  Chinamen  receive 
less ;  the  Indians  being  found  much  better 
workers  from  the  fact  of  their  greater  strength. 

We  find  the  climate  fine,  sun  hot,  appetites 
good,  table  excellent.  Expect  soon  to  be  able 
to  read  or  write  during  the  greater  part  of  the 
so-called  night. 

The  chief  officer,  concerning  whom  I  have 
lately  spoken,  this  morning  was  seized  with  the 
painter's  colic,  arising  from  the  ship  having 
been  lately  painted :  he  was  seized  with  con- 
vulsions, and  it  required  three  men  to  hold 
him  down.  Later  he  begim  to  recover,  and 
we  hope  now  he  is  out  of  danger. 


.'■  1 


3S 


150 


FROM  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


We  took  a  little  paddle-wheel  a  few  feet 
long,  called  the  "  Hyack  "  (the  Indian  term  for 
"  quick  "),  and  found  that  she  belied  her  name, 
making  the  distance  of  four  miles  to  the  town 
of  Nanaimo  in  an  hour  and  a  half.  Passed 
numerous  Indian  canoes,  pulled  by  their  dusky 
owners,  the  bows  ornamented  with  red  fresco- 
work,  and  carved  with  strange  figures  of  birds 
and  animals ;  the  prow  being  sometimes  pro- 
tected with  skins  firmly  fastened. 

The  Indians  here,  as  at  Victoria,  troll  for 
salmon  with  a  spoon,  also  using  the  spear.  No 
one  here  has  ever  heard  of  their  rising  to  a  fly. 

Our  captain,  a  Swede,  we  found  throughout 
the  trip  an  excellent  man  and  most  careful 
officer.  His  companions  in  loneliness,  while  ab- 
sent from  his  wife,  were  two  dogs, —  one  a  small 
brown  retriever,  the  other  a  little  livor-colored 
water-spaniel  pup.  They  both  now  are  lying 
near  me,  watching  the  coal  sliding  into  the  hold  ; 
and  the  pup  feebly  wags  the  short  stump  of  a 
tail,  the  last  portion  of  which  he  has  just  lost. 
Telling  the  captain  how  most  spaniels  have  their 
tails  docked,  he,  without  waiting  for  an  expla- 
nation as  to  the  onodtis  operandi,  before  I  realized 
the  situation,  had  a  chisel  on  the  tail,  and  the 
ship's  carpenter  was  driving  it  home.  Half  of 
a  tail  went  over  the  deck  one  way,  and  a  yelling 
pup  the  other.     Calling  him  down,  the  captain, 


I 


ALASKA. 


151 


having  no  caustic,  wound  the  tail  in  a  tarred 
rag.  Puppy  soon  recovered,  and  when  working 
some  day  in  rough  brush  after  birds  will  thank 
me  for  saving  him  many  an  hour's  agony  from 
a  future  sore  tail,  arising  from  beating  it  against 
the  undergrowth. 

We  now  coasted  back  along  Vancouver's 
Island,  steering  a  southerly  course,  heading 
toward  Port  Townsend  on  Puget  Sound,  in  order 
to  take  on  board  an  Alaska  pilot. 

Jidy  2\.  —  At  Port  Townsend,  the  purser 
took  some  lemons  on  board,  which  are  always 
so  greatly  prized  in  northern  latitudes. 

22d.  —  The  steamship  "Mexico"  arrived  in 
the  night,  and  gave  us  our  pilot,  Capt.  Hicks 
by  name,  who,  like  most  of  the  old-school  pilots, 
navigated  throughout  our  course  by  certain 
natural  landmarks,  in  preference  to  keeping  a 
log  and  steering  by  minutes  of  distance  ;  the 
former  method,  in  case  of  fog,  being  totally 
useless. 

Skirting  along  Vancouver's  Island,  the  sun 
glancing  on  the  water,  with  occasionally  a  canoe 
shooting  forth  from  tae  shore,  we  began  our 
thousand-mile  course  through  this  wonderful 
passage  made  up  of  inlets,  bays,  sounds,  chan- 
nels, and  fiords,  filled  with  innumerable  islands, 
where  the  waters  are  very  narrow,  with  high 
mountains  on  either  side,  where  a  vessel  may 


!S  I 


152 


FROM  FIFTH  A  VENL/E    TO  ALASKA. 


sail  some  twelve  hundred  miles  over  deep  seas^ 
and  no  passenger  suffer  in  the  least  from  sea- 
sickness. 

Considering  that  the  distance,  even  in  a 
direct  line,  from  Puget  Sound  to  the  head  of 
Lynn  Canal,  is  some  seven  hundred  and  eighty 
miles,  where  can  such  another  sheet  of  water 
be  found? 

Through  this  north-west  passage  for  days  we 
sailed,  through  visions  of  unbroken  grandeur ; 
the  scene  enhanced  in  beauty  by  the  boldness 
of  the  shores,  the  precipitous  and  abrupt  rise 
of  the  snow  mountains  from  the  water's  edge, 
and  the  narrowness  of  the  channels,  some  being 
not  more  than  two  thousand  feet,  the  lead  even 
then  striking  no  bottom  at  fifteen  fathoms. 
This  fairy-land  of  moving  extravaganzas  of 
scenery  was  an  amalgamation  of  Switzerland, 
Norway,  the  St.  Lawrence  with  her  rapids  and 
islands,  the  picturesque  loveliness  of  Loch 
Katrine,  added  to  the  arctic  wonders  of  the 
high  latitude  of  60°. 

The  lack  of  intense  cold  in  Alaska  arises 
from  the  reversal  of  the  Japan  current ;  and 
the  large  amount  of  moisture  and  rain  is  de- 
rived from  the  vast  ranges  of  snow-clad  moun- 
tains continually  meeting  the  warmer  air  from, 
the  waters  by  which  they  are  encompassed. 

This  afternoon  a  sailor  swung  a  small  empty 


ALASKA. 


15? 


mucilage-bottle  from  the  yard-arm  ;  and  we 
practised  on  it  with  our  Winchesters,  my  rifle 
being  the  lucky  one  to  reach  it  at  the  second 
shot. 

22,d.  —  Still  in  English  waters,  British  Colum- 
bia being  on  our  right.  When  foggy  the  fog- 
horn is  frequently  sounded,  the  echo  from  the 
shores  giving  warning  of  our  closeness.  Dur- 
ing the  night  we  were  forced  to  stop,  waiting 
for  a  turn  in  the  tide,  the  opposing  current  be- 
ing too  strong. 

Passed  several  Indian  burial-grounds ;  little 
white  flags  on  poles  denoting  the  mounds  where 
their  medicine-men  and  chiefs,  '' tigees^'  are 
buried. 

On  Queen  Charlotte's  Sound  we  experienced 
a  slight  swell. 

A  dozen  whales  are  spouting  a  few  hundred 
yards  off:  there  are  also  several  Gona-birds, 
somewhat  resembling  the  Cape  -  albatross  in 
flight  and  color ;  although  I  have  not  heard  of 
its  bones  being  as  yet  put  to  a  similar  use,  — 
viz.,  pipe-stems,  —  I  think  it  practicable.  The 
bird  measures  often  eight  feet  from  tip  to  tip. 
Numbers  of  bald  eagles  pass  over  the  vessel, 
with  occasionally  a  black  one.  Porpoises, 
shags,  —  a  kind  of  black  water-fowl,  —  black- 
fish,  grampuses,  and  ducks  innumerable,  enliven 
the  waters. 


154 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE   TO  ALASKA. 


2/\th.  —  I  began  to  realize  the  eulogy  which 
Lord  Dufferin  pronounced  on  British  Columbia 
and  Alaska,  extolling  its  scenery  as  being  the 
most  superb  in  the  world.  The  advantage  of 
travelling  in  this  lazy  manner,  passing  one's 
time  in  luxurious  idleness,  is  very  great.  Each 
morning  our  eyes  feast  on  new  wonders ;  for, 
while  we  are  spending  the  nights  in  sleep,  one 
hundred  and  eighty  miles  farther  north  in  this 
strange  country  makes  a  change  of  scene. 

As  we  first  looked  from  the  ship's  side  this 
morning,  the  channel  had  greatly  narrowed  dur- 
ing the  night,  and  a  stone  might  almost  be 
slung  against  either  shore.  Waterfalls  tore 
down  in  headlong  career,  foaming,  roaring,  and 
finally  breaking  into  the  salt  water,  —  meltings 
from  the  snowy  peaks,  or  the  outlets  of  lakes 
secreted  far  up  in  the  hills.  As  we  meandered 
in  our  snake-like  course,  each  new  turn  seem- 
ingly being  the  end  of  our  journey,  the  oppos- 
ing mountains  on  our  approach  slowly  yielded 
the  hitherto  hidden  gorge,  which  they  appeared 
loath  to  disclose.  Landslides  often  streaked 
the  mountain  sides,  caused  by  the  avalanches 
of  the  snow  above :  the  track  made  by  the 
slide  soon  fills  up  by  a  new  undergrowth  of  a 
low,  tough,  elastic  bush,  from  which  the  Indians 
make  their  ropes  and  baskets. 

The  vegetation   grows   so   thickly  on   these 


m  i 


ALASKA. 


155 


mountains,  down  to  the  very  last  morsel  of 
earth  untouched  by  the  lapping  of  the  waters, 
that  nearly  every  pine  after  reaching  a  certain 
height  dies  from  starvation,  then  falls  and  de- 
cays, returns  to  earth,  and  in  turn  supplies  to 
others  the  very  nourishment  which  he  himself 
had  in  life  struggled  for  in  vain. 

Thick  over  the  mountain  sides,  all  the  taller 
trees  were  dead ;  and  we  found,  by  observing 
the  thinness  of  soil  which  the  slides  revealed, 
that  all  the  larger  trees  were  starved  to  death. 

Occasionally  we  attempted  revolver-shots  at 
a  passing  gull  or  floating  limb,  and  so  the 
hours  wore  on. 

Later  the  sun  became  obscured  by  clouds: 
the  air  soon  turned  cold  and  exhilarating. 

As  I  sit  here  in  the  captain's  room,  back  of 
the  wheel-house,  a  litde  forward  of  midships, 
only  a  slight  tremor  from  the  throbbing  screw 
is  perceptible ;  and  on  we  float,  gliding  by  un- 
trodden woods,  and  inland  lakes  without  a 
doubt  filled  with  trout  whose  fastidious  tastes 
have  never  yet  been  tempted  by  a  carefully 
constructed  fly. 

The  dogs  are  on  the  deck,  playing  tag  around 
the  windlass,  or  chasing  their  ever-escaping 
tails.  Last  night,  having  left  several  pages  of 
my  journal  on  the  sofa,  through  the  inborn  love 
of  a  young  dog  for  tearing  paper,  I  was  forced 


li 

lij 


1; 


i! 


:ii 


156 


FROM  FI/'TJI  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


to  attempt  a  little  mosaic-work  before  re-copy- 
ing; althou/^h,  owing  to  the  spaniel  pup's  gen- 
..Tosity,  I  Ibund  that  he  had  kindly  refrained  from 
swallowing  any  cf  the  fragments. 

We  hope  to  leach  fclie  lower  portion  of 
Alaska  by  midnigiit,  our  course  for  the  last  two 
days  having  been  through  British  waters. 

Alaska  is  a  v;.st  country,  more  than  twice 
larger  than  the  thirteen  original  States.  Its 
breadth  from  east  to  west  in  direct  line  is  two 
thousarid  two  hundred  miles,  and  from  north  to 
south  one  thousand  four  hundred  miles ;  and 
its  most  western  island  is  farther  west  of  San 
Francisco  than  San  Francisco  is  west  of  the 
coast  of  Maine.  The  mainland  lies  between 
54°  40'  and  71°  north  latitude,  and  between 
130'^'  and  170°  west  longitude.  But  the  island 
of  Attu,  the  more  western  of  the  Aleutian  chain, 
is  iSyi'""  west  longitude  ;  and  the  western  bound- 
ary of  Alaska,  accordmg  to  che  Russian  treaty, 
is  193°  west  of  Greenwich,  —  very  near  to  Asia. 
Quoddy  Light  on  the  east  coast  of  Maine  is  in 
latitude  44""  47',  longitude  66°  58'  west,  ^-lh 
Francisco  is  latitude  37"  48',  IcMigitude  122° 
26'.  Attu  is  53°  north  latitude,  187*°  west 
longitude  :  hence  Attu  is  just  about  as  far  west 
of  San  Francisco  as  San  Francisco  is  west  of 
the  east  coast  of  Maine. 

From  the  maps  you  will    see   how  we   are 


•J&v 


ALASKA. 


157 


severed  from  Alaska  by  the  British  Possessions. 
No  part  of  Alaska  comes  anywhere  near  the 
Unitr'd  States.  One  of  the  chief  bou;>  Jary-lines 
bs^tween  Alaska  and  the  British  Possessions  is  a 
line  dra  vn  due  north  from  the  top  of  Mount 
St.  Elias  to  the  Polar  Sea. 

Alaska,  with  certain  improvements,  was  pur- 
chased by  treaty  with  Russia  made  March  30, 
1867  ;  and  it  was  delivered  in  due  form  Oct. 
18,  in  that  year,  upon  payment  of  $7,200,000. 
Secretary  Seward  regarded  this  acquisition  as 
quite  the  crowning  act  of  his  official  life. 

At  the  time  of  the  transfer,  Russia  claimed 
a  population  of  sixty-six  thousand  :  possil)ly 
there  were  forty-five  thousand,  Indians  and  all. 
The  estimate  made  by  Gen.  Hallcck  in  1869, 
while  secretary  of  war,  makes  the  number  of 
Indians  sixty  thousand.  Mr.  Dall  mnkes  the 
population  far  less.  Estimates  from  the  best 
sources  which  we  could  obtain  lead  us  to 
believe  that  there  are  now  in  Alaska  some  forty 
thousand  Indians  and  about  five  hundred  white 
men. 

These  Indians  seem  >  have  the  same  general 
appearance  and  charactc  ristics,  —  the  tribes  dif- 
fering no  more  than  families  differ  in  England 
or  America.  The;y  are  everywhere  about  the 
same  color,  —  much  the  same  shade  as  the 
Chinese.     They   are   as   low   in   the   scale   of 


if 


158 


F/iOM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


lilt 


humanity  as  North- American  Indians  generally 
are  ;  that  is,  ignorant,  ungrateful,  treacherous, 
cruel  savages. 

Sentimental  people  who  read  Cooper's  novels 
for  history,  and  overflow  with  "  telescopic  be- 
nevolence," fancy  that  the  "  noble  Indian  "  has 
contracted  his  chief  vices  from  the  white  man. 
But  the  red  men  of  Alaska  have  been  so  isolated 
that  here  we  can  see  them  in  the  pure  state  of 
unadulterated  savagery.  It  cannot  be  said, 
with  the  smallest  degree  of  truth,  that  these 
red  Pagans  have  been  corrupted  by  whits 
Christians. 

The  Rev.  Sheldon  Jackson,  missionary  to  the 
Indians,  in  his  valuable  work  upon  Alaska, 
shows  the  utter  degradation  of  these  savages  ; 
citing  in  proof  of  their  inhuman  cruelties,  dia- 
bolical superstitions,  and  revolting  customs,  his 
own  experience,  the  published  statements  of 
the  Rev.  W.  W.  Kirby,  Mr.  Brady,  Mr.  Dall,  Mr. 
Young,  Mrs.  McFarland,  Mr.  Duncan,  and 
others. 

The  Rev.  W.  W.  Kirby,  a  missionary,  says,  — 

"  In  common  with  all  savage  people,  the  Indians 
regard  their  women  as  slaves,  and  compel  them  to  do 
the  hardest  work,  while  they  look  lazily  on,  enjoying 
the  luxury  of  a  pipe,  and  often  requite  their  services 
with  harsh  words  and  cruel  blows.  They  are  inferior 
in  looks,  and  i^wer  in  number  than  the  men.     The 


im'^^^m^ 


ALASKA. 


•59 


former  probably  arises  from  the  cruel  and  harsh 
treatment  they  receive,  and  the  latter  is  caused  in 
a  great  measure  by  the  too-prevalent  custom  of 
female  infanticide.  Spared  in  infancy,  the  lesson 
of  inferiority  is  early  burned  into  the  lives  of  the 
girl?.  While  mere  babes  they  are  sometimes  given 
away  or  betrothed  to  their  future  husbands.  And 
when  they  arrive  at  the  age  of  twelve  or  fourteen 
vears,  among  the  Tinneh,  the  Thlinkets,  and  others, 
t!>  y  are  often  offered  for  sale.  For  a  few  blankets 
a  mother  will  sell  her  own  daughter  for  base  purposes, 
for  a  week,  a  month,  or  for  life.  All  through  that 
vast  land,  wretched  woman  is  systematically  op- 
pressed,—  made  prematurely  old  in  bearing  man's 
burdens  as  well  as  her  own.  In  some  sections,  all 
the  work  but  hunting  and  fighting  falls  upon  her, 
—  even  the  boys  transferring  their  loads  and  work 
to  their  sisters. 

"  Said  a  great  chief,  '  Women  are  made  to  labor. 
One  of  them  can  haul  as  much  as  two  men  can  do. 
They  pitch  our  tents,  make  and  mend  our  clothing,' 
etc, 

"  And,  as  if  their  ordinary  condition  were  not  bad 
enough,  the  majority  of  the  slaves  are  women.  The 
men  captured  in  war  are  usually  killed,  or  reserved 
for  torture ;  but  the  women  are  kept  as  beasts  of 
burden,  and  often  treated  with  great  inhumanity. 
The  master's  power  over  them  is  unlimited.  He  can 
torture  or  put  them  to  death  at  will.  Sometimes, 
upon  the  death  of  the  master,  one  or  more  of  them 
are  put  to  death,  ^hat  he  may  have  some  one  to  wait 
upon  him  in  the  next  world, 

"  Polygamy,  with  all  its  attendant  evils,  is  common 


i6o 


I'KOM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


among  many  tribes.  Those  wives  are  often  sisters. 
Sometimes  a  man's  own  mother  or  daughter  are 
among  his  wives.  If  a  man's  wife  bears  him  only 
daughters,  he  continues  to  take  other  wives  until  he 
has  sons.  One  of  the  Nasse  chiefs  is  said  to  have 
had  forty  wives. 

"  On  the  Upper  Yukon,  the  man  multiplies  his 
wives  as  the  farmer  his  oxen.  The  more  wives,  the 
more  meat  he  can  have  hauled,  the  more  wood  cut, 
and  more  goods  carried. 

"After  marriage  they  are  practically  slaves  of 
their  husbands.  Among  some  tribes,  their  persons 
are  at  the  disposal  of  visitors  or  travellers,  guests  of 
their  husbands.  They  are  sometimes,  in  Southern 
Alaska,  sent  to  the  mines,  while  their  husbands  live 
in  idleness  at  home  on  the  wages  of  their  immorality. 
.  .  .  During  our  visit  to  Fort  Wrangell  in  1879,  an 
Indirn  killed  his  wife,  and  brought  her  body  into  the 
village  for  a  funeral.  No  one  could  interfere.  Ac- 
cording to  their  customs,  he  had  bought  her  as  he 
would  buy  a  dog,  and  if  he  chose  he  could  kill  her 
as  he  would  kill  a  dog." 

Mr.  W.  H.  Dall  of  the  Smithsonian  Institute 
in  his  work  on  Alaska  says,  — 

"  Polygamy  is  common  among  the  rich.  Upon 
arriving  at  a  marriageable  age,  the  lower  lip  of  the 
girl  is  pierced, and  a  silver  pin  inserted;  the  flat  head 
of  the  pin  being  in  the  mouth,  and  the  pin  project- 
ing through  the  lip  over  the  chin.  Many  of  them, 
men  as  well  as  women,  wear  a  silver  ring  in  the  nose 


iliij 


"i^^m'^  ntm^im 


ALASA'A. 


I6l 


as  well  as  in  the  ears.  After  marriage  the  silver  pin 
is  removed  from  the  woman's  lip,  and  a  spool-shaped 
plug,  called  a  labret,  about  three-ruarters  of  an  inch 
long,  is  substituted  in  its  place.  As  she  grows  older, 
larger  ones  are  inserted,  so  that  an  old  woman  may 
have  one  two  inches  in  diameter. 


"  Their  method  of  war  is  an  ambush  or  surprise. 
The  prisoners  are  made  slaves,  and  the  dead  are 
scalped.  The  scalps  are  woven  into  a  kind  of  garter 
by  the  victor.     Dead  slaves  are  cast  into  the  sea. 

"  They  believe  in  the  transmigration  of  souls  from 
one  body  to  another,  but  not  to  an  animal ;  and  the 
wish  is  ofte^t  expressed,  that  in  the  next  change  they 
may  be  born  into  this  or  that  powerful  family. 
Those  whose  bodies  are  burned  are  supposed  to  be 
warm  in  the  next  world,  and  the  others  cold.  If 
slaves  an;  sacrificed  at  their  burial,  it  relieves  their 
owners  from  work  in  the  next  world," 

We  saw  many  Indian  women  with  these 
plug-s  and  flat  silver  pins  in  their  lips. 

The  Indian  record  of  the  creation  of  the 
world   differs   from    that  of  Moses.     Mr.  Dall 

satys,  — 

"Their  religion  is  a  feeble  polytheism.  Yehl  is 
the  maker  of  wood  and  waters.  He  put  the  sun, 
moon,  and  stars  in  their  places.  He  lives  in  the 
east,  near  the  head-waters  of  the  Naass  River.  He 
makes  himself  known  in  the  east  wind,  ssaiikhcthy 
and  his  abode  is  Naasshak-yehl. 

'^' There  was  a  time  when  men  groped  in  the  dark 


ft 
if 


m  1 


■8*1  ■' 


1  i 


162 


F/fOM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA, 


in  search  of  the  world.  At  that  time  a  Thlinket 
lived,  who  had  a  wife  and  sister.  He  loved  the 
former  so  much  that  he  did  not  permit  her  to  work. 
Eight  little  red  birds,  called  kun,  were  always  around 
her.  One  day  she  spoke  to  a  stranger.  The  little 
birds  flew,  and  told  the  jealous  husband,  who  prepared 
to  make  a  box  to  shut  his  wife  up.  He  killed  all  his 
sister's  children  because  they  looked  at  his  wife. 
Weeping,  the  mother  went  to  the  seashore.  A 
whale  saw  her,  and  asked  the  cause  of  her  grief,  and, 
when  informed,  told  her  to  swallow  a  small  stone 
from  the  beach,  and  drink  some  sea-water.  In  eight 
months  she  had  a  son,  whom  she  hid  from  her 
brother.     This  son  was  Yehl. 

"  At  that  time  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars  were  kept 
by  a  rich  chief  in  separate  boxes,  which  he  allowed 
no  one  to  toich.  Yehl  by  strategy  secured  and 
opened  these  boxes,  so  that  the  noon  and  stars  shone 
in  the  sky.  When  the  sun-box  was  opened,  the  peo- 
ple, astonished  at  the  unwonted  glare,  ran  off  into 
the  mountains,  woods,  and  even  into  the  water,  be- 
coming animals  or  fish.  He  also  provided  fire  and 
water.  Having  arranged  every  thing  for  the  comfort 
of  the  Thlinkets,  he  disappeared  where  neither  man 
nor  spirit  can  penetrate. 

"There  are  an  immense  number  of  minor  spirits, 
called  yt'kh.  Each  shaman  has  his  own  familiar  that 
does  his  bidding,  and  others  on  whom  he  may  call  in 
certain  emergencies.  These  spirits  are  dividf  i  into 
three  classes, — Khi-yekJi  (the  upper  ones),  Takhi- 
yckh  (land-spirits),  and  TchJii-yckh  (sea-spirits).  The 
first  are  the  spirits  of  the  brave  killed  in  war,  and 
dwellmg   in   the    North :   hence  a  great   display  of 


A  LAS  A- A. 


163 


northern  lights  is  looked  upon  as  an  omen  of  war. 
The  second  and  third  arc  the  spirits  of  those  who 
died  in  the  common  way,  and  wlio  dwell  in  Takhan- 
khov.  The  ease  with  which  these  latter  reach  their 
appointed  place  is  dependent  on  the  conduct  of  their 
relations  in  mourning  for  them." 

A  shaman  is  a  wizard,  or  sorcerer,  a  priest 
of  shamanism.  Shamanism  is  a  religion  of 
awful  superstition  which  prevails  in  Northern 
Asia,  consisting  in  a  belief  in  evil  spirits,  and 
in  the  necessity  of  averting  their  malign  in- 
fluence by  magic  spells  and  horrid  rites.  The 
prevalence  of  this  religion  among  the  Alaska 
Indians  is  one  of  the  many  evidences  of  their 
Asiatic  origin. 

"  In  addition  to  these  spirits,  every  one  has  his 
yckJi,  who  is  always  with  him,  e.\'cept  in  cases  when 
a  man  becomes  exceedingly  bad,  when  the  yekh 
leaves  him.  These  spirits  only  permit  themselves 
to  be  conjured  by  the  sound  of  a  drum  or  rattle. 
The  last  is  usually  made  in  the  shape  of  a  bird,  hol- 
low, and  filled  with  small  stones.  These  are  used  at 
all  festivities,  and  whenever  the  spiriis  are  wanted. 

"  As  the  good  spirits,  from  the  very  nature  of  the 
case,  will  not  harm  them,  the  Indians  pay  but  little 
attention  to  them.  The)  give  their  chief  attention 
to  propitiating  ihe  evil  spirits :  so  that  their  religion 
practically  resolves  itself  into  devil-worship,  or  de- 
monolatry.  Thi.s  is  called  shamanism,  or  the  giving 
of    offerings  to  evil  spirits  to    prevent    their   doing 


il!l!'l 


!l  i 


f 


164 


/•/v'ai/  /••//•■  77/  AVIuVUE    TO   ALASKA. 


mischief  to  the  offender.  It  is  said  to  have  been 
the  old  religion  of  the  Tartar  race,  before  the  intro- 
duction of  Buddhism,  and  is  still  that  of  the  Sibe- 
rians. Indeed,  long  ago  Paul  declared,  '  The  things 
which  the  Gentiles  sacrifice,  they  sacrifice  to  devils, 
and  not  to  God  '  (i  Cor.  x.  20).  The  shaman  is 
the  priest,  who  performs  these  rites,  and  is  the 
sorcerer,  or  medicine-man,  of  the  tribes :  he  has  con- 
trol not  only  of  the  spirits,  but,  through  the  spirits, 
of  diseases,  of  the  elements,  and  of  nature ;  he 
holds  in  his  power  success  or  misfortune,  blessing 
or  cursing. 

"  '  The  honor  and  respect,'  says  Dall,  '  with  which 
a  shaman  is  regarded,  depends  on  the  number  of 
spirits  under  his  control,  who,  properly  employed, 
contribute  largely  to  his  wealth.  For  every  one  of 
them,  he  has  a  name  and  certain  songs.  Sometimes 
the  spirits  of  his  ancestors  come  to  his  assistance, 
and  increase  his  power,  so  that  it  is  believed  he  can 
throw  his  spirits  into  other  people  who  do  not  be- 
lieve in  his  arts.  Those  unfortunate  wretches  to 
whom  this  happens  suffer  from  horrible  fits  and  par- 
o.xysms." 

Bancroft,  in  his  "Native  Races  on  the  Pacific 
Coast,"  thus  speaks  of  shamanism  :  — 

"Thick  black  clouds,  portentous  of  evil,  hang 
threateningly  over  the  savage  during  his  entire  life. 
Genii  murmur  in  the  flowing  river :  in  the  rustling 
branches  of  the  trees  is  heard  the  breathing  of  the 
gods ;  goblins  dance  in  the  vapory  twilight,  and 
demons  howl  in  the  darkness.     All  these  beings  are 


m 


ALASK'A. 


165 


hostile  to  man,  and  must  be  propitiated  by  gifts  and 
prayers  and  sacrifices  ;  and  the  religious  worship  of 
some  of  the  tribes  includes  practices  which  are 
frightful  in  their  atrocity.  Here,  for  example,  is  a  rite 
of  sorcery  as  practised  among  the  Haidahs,  one  of 
the  Northern  nations  :  — 

"  When  the  salmon  season  is  over,  and  the  pro- 
vision of  winter  has  been  stored  away,  feasting 
and  conjuring  begin.  The  chief,  who  seems  to  be 
principal  sorcerer,  and,  indeed,  to  possess  little  au- 
thority save  for  his  connection  with  the  preterhuman 
powers,  goes  off  to  the  loneliest  and  wildest  retreat  he 
knows  of  or  can  discover  in  the  mountains  or  forests, 
and  half  starves  himself  there  for  some  weeks  till 
he  is  worked  up  to  a  frenzy  of  religious  insanity, 
and  the  nawloks  —  fearful  beings  of  some  kinds  not 
human  —  consent  to  communicate  with  him  by  voices 
or  otherwise.  During  all  this  observance,  the  chief 
is  called  taamish ;  and  woe  to  the  unlucky  Haidah 
who  happens  by  chance  so  much  as  to  look  on  him 
during  its  continuance  !  Even  if  the  taamish  do  not 
instantly  slay  the  intruder,  his  neighbors  are  certain 
to  do  so  when  the  thing  comes  to  their  knowledge ; 
and  if  the  victim  attempts  to  conceal  the  affair,  or 
do  not  himself  confess  it,  the  most  cruel  tortures  are 
added  to  his  fate.  At  last  the  inspired  demoniac 
returns  to  his  village,  naked,  save  a  bearskin  or  a 
ragged  blanket,  with  a  chaplet  on  his  head  and  a  red 
band  of  elder-bark  about  his  neck.  He  springs  on 
the  first  person  he  meets,  bites  out  and  swallows  one 
or  more  mouthfuls  of  the  man's  living  flesh  where- 
ever  he  can  fix  his  teeth,  then  rushes  to  another  and 
another,  repeating  his  revolting  meal  till  he  falls  into 


i 


•:  ( 


W 


i66 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUF    TO   ALASKA. 


a  torpor  from  his  sudden  and  half-masticated  surfeit 
of  flesh." 

All  the  Alaska  Indians  are  held  in  abject  fear 
by  the  sorcerers,  or  medicine-men.  Witchcraft, 
with  all  its  awful  consequences,  is  of  universal 
belief. 

"The  medicine-man,  or  sorcerer,  or  shaman,  as 
he  is  often  called,  demands  large  reward  before  he 
begins  his  incantations  to  heal  the  sick ;  and,  if  he 
fails,  '  ^  always  declares  that  the  failure  is  due  to 
witchciaft.  He  then  commences  to  find  the  witch, 
and  he  never  fails.  Hand  over  hand,  as  if  following 
an  invisible  cord,  he  traces  the  witch,  who  is  then 
tortured  to  death.  He  or  she  —  as  the  case  may  be 
—  is  bound,  with  the  head  drawn  between  the  knees, 
and  then  usually  placed  under  the  floor  of  some  un- 
inhabited hut  until  the  victim  is  dead." 

One  of  the  officers  of  our  government  at 
Sitka  told  us  of  having  rescued  a  young  man 
whom  he  knew,  from  that  horrid  torture  ;  but 
he  died  very  soon.  Every  Indian  man  and 
woman  tried  to  conceal  where  the  victim  of 
their  horrid  superstition  was  concealed. 

We  derived  much  valuable  information  at 
Sitka,  about  the  Indians,  from  the  Rev.  John 
G.  Brady,  who  was  educated  at  Yale  College, 
and  came  to  Alaska  as  a  Presbyterian  mission- 
ary under  the  patronage  of  the  late  William  E. 
Dodge  of  New  York,  about  six  years  ago.     His 


w 


j»vs. 


ALASA'A. 


167 


views  about  Indian  character,  and  the  chances 
of  Indian  civilization,  agree  with  those  of  every 
intelligent  man  whom  we  met :  they  are  not 
very  encouraging. 

In  the  autumn  of  1857  Mr.  William  Duncan 
was  sent  out  from  England  to  Alaska  by  the 
Church  Missionary  Society.  On  arrival  at  P^ort 
Simpson,  he  gives  the  following  account  of  what 
he  found :  — 

"  I  found  located  here  nine  tribes  of  Tsimpsean 
Indians,  numbering  by  actual  count  two  thousand 
three  hundred  souls.  To  attempt  to  describe  their 
^condition  would  be  but  to  produce  a  dark  and  revolt- 
ing picture  of  human  depravity.  The  dark  mantle 
■of  degrading  superstition  enveloped  them  all ;  and 
their  savage  spirits,  swayed  by  pride,  jealousy,  and 
revenge,  were  ever  hurrying  them  on  to  deeds  of 
blood.  Their  history  was  little  else  than  a  chapter 
of  crime  and  misery.  But  worse  was  to  come.  The 
following  year,  the  discovery  of  gold  brought  in  a 
rush  of  miners.  Fire-water  now  began  its  reign  of 
terror,  and  debauchery  its  work  of  desolation.  On 
every  hand  were  raving  drunkards  and  groaning  vic- 
tims. The  medici  n^an's  rattle  and  the  voice  of 
wailing  seldom  ce.'  seel       .  . 

"  The  other  day  .«'c  >vere  called  upon  to  witness 
a  terrible  scene.  An  Oid  chief  in  cold  blood  ordered 
a  slave  to  be  dragged  to  the  beach,  murdered,  and 
thrown  into  the  water.  His  orders  were  quickly 
obeyed.  The  victim  was  a  poor  woman.  Two  or 
three  reasons  are  assigned  for  this  foul  act.     One  is, 


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FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


1  Wi 


that  it  is  to  take  away  the  disgrace  attached  to  his 
daughter,  who  had  been  suffering  for  some  time  with 
a  ball-wound  in  the  arm.  Another  report  is,  that  he 
does  not  expect  his  daughter  to  recover,  so  he  has 
killed  this  slave  in  order  that  she  may  prepare  for 
the  coming  of  his  daughter  into  the  unseen  world. 
I  did  not  see  the  murder,  but  immediately  after  saw 
crowds  of  people  running  out  of  the  houses  near  to 
where  the  corpse  was  thrown,  and  formirfg  them- 
selves into  groups  at  a  good  distance  away,  from  fear 
of  what  was  to  follow.  Presently  two  bands  of  furi- 
ous wretches  appeared,  each  headed  by  a  man  in  a 
state  of  nudity.  They  gave  vent  to  the  most  un- 
earthly sounds ;  and  the  naked  men  made  themselves 
look  as  unearthly  as  possible,  proceeding  in  a  creep- 
ing kind  of  stoop,  and  stepping  like  two  proud 
horses,  at  the  same  time  shooting  forward  each  arm 
alternately,  which  they  held  out  at  full  length  for  a 
little  time  in  the  most  defiant  manner.  Besides  this, 
the  continual  jerking  of  their  heads  back,  causing 
their  long  black  hair  to  twist  about,  added  much  to 
their  savage  appearance.  For  some  time  they  pre- 
tended to  be  seeking  for  the  body ;  and  the  instant 
they  came  where  it  lay,  they  commenced  screaming 
and  rushing  around  it  like  so  many  angry  wolves. 
Finally  they  seized  it,  dragged  it  out  of  the  water, 
and  laid  it  on  the  beach,  where  they  commenced  tear- 
ing it  to  pieces  with  their  teeth.  The  two  bands  of 
men  immediately  sui  rounded  them,  and  so  hid  their 
horrid  work.  In  a  few  minutes  the  crowd  broke 
again,  vhen  each  of  the  naked  cannibals  appeared 
with  half  of  the  body  in  his  hands.  Separating  a 
few  yards,  they  commenced,  amid  horrid  yells,  their 


ALASKA. 


169 


■A 


I 


Still  more  horrid  feast  of  eating  the  raw  dead  body. 
The  two  bands  of  men  belonged  to  that  class  called 
*  medicine-men.' 

"  I  may  mention  that  each  party  has  some  char- 
acteristics peculiar  to  itself ;  but  in  a  more  general 
sense  their  divisions  are  but  three,  —  viz.,  those 
who  eat  human  bodies,  the  dog-eaters,  and  those  who 
have  no  custom  of  the  kind.  Early  in  the  morning 
the  pupils  would  be  out  on  the  beach,  or  on  the 
rocks,  in  a  state  of  nudity.  Each  had  a  place  in  the 
front  of  his  own  tribe  ;  nor  did  intense  cold  interfere 
in  the  slightest  degree.  After  the  poor  creature  had 
crept  about,  jerking  his  head  and  screaming,  for  some 
time,  a  party  of  men  would  rush  out,  and  after  sur- 
rounding him  would  commence  singing.  The  dog- 
eating  party  occasionally  carried  a  dead  dog  to  their 
pupil,  who  forthwith  commenced  to  tear  it  in  the 
most  dog-like  manner.  The  party  of  attendants 
kept  up  a  low,  growling  noise,  or  a  whoop,  which  was 
seconded  by  a  screeching  noise  made  from  an  instru- 
ment which  they  believe  to  be  the  abode  of  a  spirit. 
In  a  little  time  the  naked  youth  would  start  up  again, 
and  proceed  a  few  more  yards  in  a  crouching  posture, 
with  his  arms  pushed  out  behind  him,  and  tossing 
his  flowing  black  hair.  All  the  while  he  is  earnestly 
watched  by  the  group  about  him ;  and  when  he 
pleases  to  sit  down,  they  again  surround  him,  and 
commence  singing.  This  kind  of  thing  goes  on, 
with  several  different  additions,  for  some  time.  Be- 
fore the  prodigy  iinally  retires,  he  takes  a  run  into 
«very  house  belonging  to  his  tribe,  and  is  followed 
by  his  train.  When  this  is,  done,  in  some  cases  he 
has  a  ramble  on  the  tops  of  the  same  houses,  during 


I/O 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO   ALASKA. 


I    > 


i.  yU    ■*    i 


Yl  1 


which  he  is  anxiously  watched  by  his  attendants,  as 
if  they  expected  his  flight.  By  and  by  he  conde- 
scends to  come  down ;  and  they  then  follow  him  to 
his  den,  which  is  marked  by  a  rope  made  of  red  bark 
being  hung  over  the  doorway  so  as  to  prevent  any 
person  from  ignorantly  violating  its  precincts.  None 
are  allowed  to  enter  that  house  but  those  connected 
with  the  art :  all  I  know,  therefore,  of  their  further 
proceedings,  is  that  they  keep  up  a  furious  hammer- 
ing, singing,  and  screeching,  for  hours  during  the 
day. 

"  Of  all  these  parties,  none  are  so  much  dreaded 
as  the  cannibals.  One  morning  I  was  called  to  wit- 
ness a  stir  in  the  camp  which  had  been  caused  by 
this  set.  When  I  reached  the  gallery  I  saw  hun- 
dreds of  Tsimpseans  sitting  in  their  canoes,  which 
they  had  just  pushed  away  from  the  beach.  I  was 
told  that  the  cannibal  party  were  in  search  of  a  body 
to  devour :  and,  if  they  failed  to  find  a  dead  one,  it 
was  probable  they  would  seize  the  first  living  one 
that  came  in  their  way ;  so  that  all  the  people  living 
near  the  cannibals'  house  had  taken  to  their  canoes 
CO  escape  being  torn  to  pieces.  It  is  the  custom 
among  these  Indians  to  burn  their  dead ;  but  I  sup- 
pose, for  these  occasions,  they  take  care  to  deposit  a 
corpse  somewhere  in  order  to  satisfy  these  inhuman 
wretches. 

"These,  then,  are  some  of  the  things  and  scenes 
which  occur  in  the  day  during  the  wmter  months ; 
while  the  nights  are  taken  up  with  amusements, 
singing,  and  dancing.  Occasionally  the  medicine- 
parties  invite  people  to  their  several  houses,  and  ex- 
hibit tricks  before  them  of  several  kinds.     Some  of 


ALASKA. 


171 


the  actors  appear  as  bears ;  while  others  wear  masks, 
the  parts  of  which  are  moved  by  strings.  The  great 
feature  of  their  proceedings  is  to  pretend  to  murder 
and  then  restore  to  life.  The  cannibal,  on  such 
occasions,  is  generally  supplied  with  two,  three,  or 
four  human  bodies,  which  he  tears  to  pieces  before 
his  audience.  Several  persons,  either  from  bravado 
or  as  a  charm,  present  their  arms  for  him  to  bite. 
I  have  seen  several  whom  he  had  thus  bitten,  and  I 
hear  two  have  died  from  the  effects." 

Mr.  Duncan  is  said  to  have  met  with  consid- 
erable success  in  taming  many  of  these  inhu- 
man creatures. 

In  1878  a  me^^ting  was  held,  called  a  conven- 
tion, which  lasted  for  two  days,  and  over  which 
Mrs.  N.  R.  McFarland  presided.  We  learn  that 
she  is  a  woman  of  great  Christian  energy  and 
abiHty,  and  that  she  has  had  much  success  in 
teaching  Indian  girls.  She  gives  the  following 
account :  — 

"The  schoolhouse  was  packed  full.  We  had  a 
great  many  long  speeches,  until  it  began  to  grow 
dark.  I  had  written  out  some  laws,  with  which  "-}  y 
seemed  to  be  pleased.  But  as  it  was  now  five  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  I  proposed  that  they  should  adjourn 
until  the  next  morning,  and  that  I  would  take  the 
rules  home,  and  copy  them  off  ready  for  their  sig- 
uatures.  The  next  morning  at  daybreak,  Shus-taks, 
a  chief,  came  out  on  the  end  of  the  point,  as  he 
always  does  when  he  has  any  thing  to  say  to  the 


Illii  'i 


172 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO   ALASKA. 


people.  He  then  made  a  great  speech,  telling  them 
that  he  knew  all  about  what  we  had  been  doing  the 
day  before,  and  that  I  was  trying  to  make  war 
between  him  and  the  other  people. 

"When  we  met  at  the  schoolhouse,  that  morning, 
we  concluded  to  send  an  invitation  to  Shus-taks  to 
come  over,  and  hear  the  laws  read,  and,  if  possible, 
conciliate  him.  We  also  invited  Mr.  Dennis,  the 
deputy  collector  of  customs,  to  be  present. 

"  I  had  the  first  talk  with  Shus-taks.  He  was  very 
hostile,  and  made  bitter  remarks.  I  tried  to  convince 
him  that  I  had  come  up  there  to  do  him  and  his  peo- 
ple good,  and  then  read  him  the  laws  we  had  adopted. 

"He  replied  that  he  would  like  to  know  what  I 
had  to  do  with  the  laws,  —  that  I  had  been  sent  there 
to  teach  school,  and  nothing  more.  .  .  . 

"  Mr.  Dennis  then  had  a  talk  with  him,  but  I  do 
not  think  it  made  the  least  impression. 

"  Then  Toy-a-att  made  a  talk  to  Shus-taks,  indeed, 
preached  him  a  solemn  sermon.  He  told  him  that 
he  was  now  an  old  man,  and  could  not  live  long ;  that 
he  wanted  him  to  give  his  heart  to  the  Saviour  who 
had  died  for  him ;  that  if  he  did  not,  but  died  as  he 
was  living,  he  must  be  forever  lost. 

"  Shus-taks  replied  that  he  did  not  care  if  he  did 
go  to  hell-fire,  —  that  his  people  were  all  there.  He 
then  left  the  meeting." 

I  believe  there  is  a  general  opinion  that  the 
chief  told  the  truth  about  his  people. 

On  the  loth  of  July,  1878,  Mrs.  McFarland 
writes,  — 


ALASKA. 


173 


"We  have  had  more  witchcraft  here,  and  the  effect 
has  been  very  bad  on  the  minds  of  the  young  people. 
Some  of  my  brightest  and  best  scholars  have  beer 
led  away  by  it.  As  we  have  no  kind  of  law,  none  of 
the  whites  felt  that  they  had  any  right  to  interfere." 

On  the  5th  of  December,  1878,  Rev.  Mr. 
Young,  a  missionary,  writes  from  Fort  Wran- 
gell  :  - 

"  We  have  gained  a  victory  over  witchcraft.  Shus- 
taks  and  his  wife  were  both  sick,  and  of  course  must 
blame  some  one  with  having  worked  '  bad  medicine ' 
against  them.  Young  Shaaks,  successor  of  the  head 
chief,  and  nephew  to  Shus-taks,  gathered  up  his 
friends,  and  caught  an  old  man,  one  of  our  church- 
attendants,  and  accused  him  of  being  'bad  medicine.' 
They  carried  him  to  Shustaks*  house,  stripped  hirn 
naked,  tied  him  most  cruelly,  hand,  foot,  and  head, 
and  put  him  into  a  dark  hole  under  the  floor. 

"  This  happened  at  night.  The  next  morning  the 
clerk  of  the  custom-house  and  myself  went  over  to 
the  house  where  all  Shus-taks'  and  Shaaks'  friends 
were  assembled.  They  were  very  determined  to  re- 
sist any  encroachment  on  their  ancient  customs ;  but 
we  were  equally  firm  and  persistent  that  they  should 
release  him,  and  tie  up  nobody  else  without  first 
consulting  us." 


Slaves  are  held  in  Alaska, 
says,  — 


Rev.  Mr.  Brady 


"  These  natives  are  very  saving  of  every  thing  to 
which   the   least   value   is   attached.     Some   of   the 


«■ 


L«i     1 


'tl  If! J  j,; 

jii  ili! 


174 


FA'OAf  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO   ALASKA. 


chiefs  are  worth  six  or  eight  thousand  dollars  in 
blankets,  houses,  skins,  and  the  like.  Some  are 
wealthy  on  account  of  their  slaves." 

Wc;  saw,  at  Pyramid  Harbor,  an  old  man  and 
his  wife  and  son,  who  were  the  slaves  of  a  young 
son  of  a  chief,  who  sold  their  services,  and  could 
sell  them  or  kill  them  at  will. 

We  speak  of  the  Indians  as  wards  of  the 
nation.  What  hypocrisy,  sham,  and  arrant 
humbug  it  all  is !  Wards  of  the  nation  !  Great 
Christian  guardians !  wlic  make  no  law,  and 
exercise  no  restraint  over  their  wards  against 
their  enslaving,  maiming,  and  murdering  one 
another,  or  against  their  diabolical  practices  of 
selling  their  women  for  debauchery,  or  torturing 
on  charges  of  witchcraft,  for  revenge  or  gain. 

At  the  recent  excursion  on  the  Northern 
Pacific  Road,  a  Crow  Indian  appeared  with  three 
bloody  scalps  of  another  tribe  strung  around 
his  neck,  —  trophies  of  his  recent  murders,  — 
strutting  in  vainglory  to  see  Christian  men  and 
women  stare  at  the  evidence  of  his  atrocities. 
Was  he  arrested,  and  his  crime  inquired  into  ? 
was  he  punished  or  even  restrained  ?  Not  a  bit 
of  it.     He  made  boasting  of  his  crimes. 

The  great  Crow  Indian  Reservation,  contain- 
ing a  vast  quantity  of  some  of  the  best  lands 
in  Montana,  lies  along  the  Northern  Pacific 
road,  partly  between    it   and    the  Yellowstone 


ALASKA. 


175 


Park :  here  travellers  can  witness  slavery, 
polygamy,  the  sale  of  women  for  debauchery, 
torture,  and  murder,  without  punishment  or 
restraint.  But  it  seems  that  these  atrocities 
are  not  unlawful  for  Indians. 

The  absurdity  of  our  laws  relating  to  the 
Indians  will  appear  by  the  following  decision 
pronounced  by  our  highest  tribunal  on  the  14th 
of  December,  1883  :  — 


"AN   INDIAN    MURDERER    NOT   LIABLE   TO   FED- 
ERAL LAW. 

Washington,  Dec.  14. 

"  A  decision  was  rendered  by  the  Supreme  Court 
of  the  United  States  to-day,  in  the  original  habeas 
corpus  case  of  the  Sioux  Indian  Crow  Dog,  who  was 
tried  in  the  District  Court  for  the  First  Judicial 
District  of  Dakota  for  the  murder  of  another  Sioux 
Indian  named  Spotted  Tail,  and,  upon  being  found 
guilty,  was  sentenced  to  suffer  death.  Counsel  for 
the  prisoner  maintained  here  that  the  crime  charged 
was  not  an  offence  under  the  laws  of  the  United 
States ;  that  the  District  Court  of  Dakota  had  no 
jurisdiction  to  try  him,  and  that  its  judgment  and 
sentence  were  void.  The  question  presented,  there- 
fore, in  this  court,  is,  whether  the  express  letter  of 
section  2,146  of  the  Revised  Statutes,  which  excludes 
from  the  jurisdiction  of  the  United  States  the  case 
of  a  crime  committed  in  the  Indian  country  by  one 
Indian  against  the  person  or  property  of  another 
Indian,  has  been  repealed.  This  court  holds  that 
it  has  not ;  that,  in  such  a  case  as  the  present  one, 


"fT 


H  !! 


i;6 


FROM  riFTIl  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


the  Indians  have  a  right  to  try  and  punish  the  crimi- 
nal according  to  their  own  laws  and  customs,  with- 
out interference  by  the  United  States ;  that  the 
First  District  Court  of  Dakota  had  no  jurisdiction, 
and  that  the  imprisonment  of  Crow  Dog  is  there- 
fore illegal.  The  writ  of  habeas  corpus  and  certiorari 
prayed  for  will  accordingly  be  issued.  Opinion  by 
Justice  Matthews." 


■  ■■' 


I  am  told  that  no  other  decision  could  have 
been  made  under  our  preposterous  system  of 
Indian  polity.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the 
government  proposed  for  Alaska  will  be  an 
improved  one. 

Extend  the  laws  over  our  entire  domain. 
Abolish  slavery,  polygamy,  the  sale  of  women 
for  vile  use,  and  punish  the  Indian  for  the  same 
crimes  and  in  the  same  way  as  we  punish  white 
men.  Until  this  is  done,  what  can  a  handful  of 
feeble  missionaries  do  to  civilize  these  savages  ? 

It  was  the  testimony  of  all  witnesses  whom 
we  met,  that  the  Indian  convert  generally  used 
the  certificate  of  conversion  to  obtain  gratuities 
or  higher  pay  for  what  work  he  might  do  ;  that, 
with  very  rare  exceptions,  they  had  no  other 
idea  •of  the  value  of  Christianity.  At  Sitka  a 
gentleman  in  the  service  of  our  government 
told  us  that  a  young  Indian  woman  showed  him 
the  certificate  of  her  baptism  and  conversion, 
to  enhance  the  price  of  her  vicious  attractions. 


ALASKA. 


\TJ 


Never  a  man  did  we  interrogate,  whether  a  mis- 
sionary or  trader,  who  did  not  assure  us,  that, 
as  a  rule,  the  Indian  was  destitute  of  grati- 
tude ;  that  he  appreciated  no  kindness ;  that 
he  was  always  treacherous  and  cruel,  and  was 
influenced  by  no  motive  but  revenge,  fear,  and 
the  greed  for  others'  property ;  and  nearly  all 
said  that  no  Indian  wife,  whether  of  white  man 
or  red,  was  ever  true  to  her  husband  if  tempted 
by  a  trinket;  And  yet  we  were  assured  that 
occasionally  a  young  Indian  girl  married  a  white 
man,  over  whom  her  fascinations  were  amazing. 

In  a  large  salmon-cannery  at  Pyramid  Har- 
bor, we  saw  nineteen  Chinamen  and  some 
twenty  Indians  working  at  the  same  long  table. 
But  for  the  dress  and  pigtail,  we  could  not  tell 
the  Chinese  from  the  Alaska  Indians,  so  close 
was  the  resemblance  of  features,  and  the  color 
was  exactly  the  same.  Upon  inquiry  we  found 
that  several  Chinamen  had  intermarried  with 
squaws,  that  they  seemed  to  have  a  ready  un- 
derstanding of  each  other,  and  could  communi- 
cate through  their  language  with  greater  facility 
than  the  whites.  I  imagine  that  they  must 
have  sprung  from  the  same  original  stock. 

But  almost  conclusive  evidence  of  the  Asiatic 
origin  of  the  Alaska  Indians  is  the  prevalence 
of  shamanism,  —  that  ternble  religion,  whose 
priests  are  called  shamans,  wizards,  or  sorcer- 


lifllll! 


178 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


ers,  practising  the  same  horrid  rites  in  Alaska 
as  in  Northern  Asia.  A  sorcerer's  mantle,  in- 
wrought with  strange  devices,  was  presented  to 
my  father  in  Alaska. 

The  Aleutian  chain  of  islands,  belonging  to 
Alaska  and  running  near  to  Asia,  may  have 
formed  the  bridge  of  emigration  in  the  earlier 
ages,  or  Behrings  Straits  may  have  been  easily 
crossed. 

The  climate  of  the  north-west  coast  proves 
to  be  much  milder  than  was  supposed :  it  is 
found  that  the  temperature  of  the  Aleutian 
Islands  is  quite  as  moderate  as  that  of  Vir- 
ginia or  Kentucky. 

The  Alaska  Indians  are  said  to  be  less  fero- 
cious than  some  of  the  more  southern  tribes 
of  North  America,  but  they  are  bad  enough. 
By  the  official  report  of  Gen.  Halleck,  made 
in  1869,  it  appears  that  the  Haidas  are  hostile 
to  the  whites,  "  and  a  few  years  ago  captured 
a  trading-vessel,  and  murdered  the  crew,"  and 
that  the  "  Stickeens  also  a  few  years  ago  cap- 
tured another  trading- vessel,  and  murdered  the 
hands ;  "  that  the  "  Kakes  have  long  been  hos- 
tile, making  distant  warlike  incursions  in  their 
canoes  ;  "  that  "  they  several  times  visited  Puget 
Sound,  and  in  1857  murdered  the  collector  of 
customs  at  Port  Townsend  in  th  '^erritory  of 
the  United  States." 


> fw  i".,Wfil|™"'',l.»  "  ■ 


ALASA'A. 


179 


At  the  salmon-cannery  at  Cape  Fox,  we 
stopped  to  unload  some  freight.  Then  we 
sailed  through  miles  of  whale-feed,  a  i<ind  of 
oily  substance  compo  .  1  of  a  species  of  jelly- 
fish, floating  on  the  surface,  forming  food  for 
the  whale.  Its  'jlor  is  yellow  ochre,  tinged 
with  orange  ;  and  it  resembles  the  potagc  bisque 
which  one  would  order  in  a  cabinet  particulicr 
at  Bignon's.  The  Indians,  after  drying,  use  it 
as  an  article  of  food.  The  Indians  cure  no  food 
with  salt. 

On  the  25th  of  July  we  reached  Fort  Wran- 
gell.  As  we  entered  VVrangell  Harbor,  the  view 
presented  was  transcendent  in  its  grandeur. 
The  little  village  was  spread  along  the  shore  at 
the  base  of  a  woody  hill ;  mountains  of  snow 
rising  up  in  graduated  heights,  tier  upon  tier, 
gallery  upon  gallery,  backed  by  icy  pinnacles, 
curiously  chiselled  lance-tipped  spires,  gables 
and  obelisks :  it  seemed  like  a  mighty  coliseum 
with  its  huge  granite  benches  towering  to  the 
skies ;  while  we  were  sailing  over  the  liquid 
arena  which  reflected  this  exalted  scene. 

The  vast  semicircle  of  snow-mountains  was 
in  our  front:  belov^  the  snow-line,  the  dense  for- 
ests of  deep-green  firs  made  a  striking  contrast 
with  the  snow.  The  sun  was  shining  in  our 
rear.  The  waters  were  clear  and  smooth  as  a 
polished  mirror,  and  so  reflected  this  marvellous 


i8o 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


m 


show  of  green  and  white  and  gHttering  sheen, 
that  we  seemed  saihng  in  Hquid  air,  over  these 
stupendous  mountains,  into  the  heavens  above. 
Neither  the  Andes  nor  the  Alps  could  present 
such  a  scene  of  entrancing  wonder.  All  were 
still  as  we  slowly,  and  with  scarce  a  sound, 
moved  through  the  silent  waters,  and  seemed 
to  look  down  upon  the  mirrored  mountain  tops 
as  though  we  were  sailing  through  the  skies. 

The  position  of  the  bright  sun,  the  stillness, 
and  the  hour  of  the  day,  combined  to  present 
a  vision  which  did  not  seem  of  earth,  and  which 
will  never  fade  from  memory. 

Fort  Wrangel  was  formerly  much  more  popu- 
lous, by  reason  of  the  gold-mines,  which  no 
longer  seem  as  rich  as  formerly ;  white  men 
for  that  reason  leaving  their  old  quarters,  seek- 
ing new  claims  farther  north,  or  returning  to 
civilization.     Only  a  few  dozen  whites  live  here. 

The  greater  part  of  the  buildings  along  the 
shore  belong  to  the  Indians,  and  are  made  of 
rough  hewn  wood,  the  floor  being  covered  with 
skins.  Huge  poles,  some  reaching  as  high  as 
sixty  feet,  with  carved  figures  up  the  whole 
length,  stand  in  front  of  the  graves  and  chiefs' 
houses  ;  the  proportionate  height  of  the  wooden 
column  marking  the  dignity  and  grandeur  of 
its  respective  owner,  the  carvings  signifying 
the  genealogy  of  the  family.  Over  one  of  the 
houses  I  read  the  following  inscription  :  — 


ALASICA. 


I8l 


Anatlash  [Owner's  name]. 

**  Let  all  who  read  know  that  I  am  a  friend  of  the  whites. 

*'  Let  no  one  molest  this  house. 

"  In  case  of  my  death,  it  belongs  to  my  wife." 

Large  numbers  of  dug-out  canoes  lined  the 
beach  ;  and  yelping  Indian  dogs,  called  cayotes, 
—  half  fox,  half  wolf,  —  scuttled  away  from 
behind  the  logs  and  stumps  at  our  approach. 

Alaska  contains  many  volcanoes.  Grewingk 
mentions  sixty-one,  of  which  number  only  ten 
remain  active. 

This  remarkable  country  contains  hot  and 
mineral  springs,  the  former  in  many  districts 
being  used  by  the  natives  for  cooking  their 
food.  The  crater  of  Goreloi  is  said  to  hold  a 
huge  boiling  mineral  spring  eighteen  miles  in 
circumference.  The  island  of  Unalashka  has 
thermal  springs  containing  sulphur  in  solution. 

Copper  River,  above  Juneau,  contains  large 
deposits  of  the  metal.  A  pipe  was  presented 
to  me,  carved  by  an  Indian  out  of  some  tough 
black  wood,  in  the  form  of  a  dolphin,  forming 
a  complete  circle ;  the  aperture  in  the  centre 
meant  for  the  hand ;  the  entire  inside  of  the 
bowl  being  heavily  lined  with  copper  from  this 
river.  I  pity  the  unfortunate  white  man  who 
shall  be  the  first  to  break  it  in  for  smoking : 
an  Indian  can  appreciate  and  relish  that  which 
no  civilized  man's  digestion  could  endure. 


IS2 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


ill 


'I 


f  w. 


I 


Most  of  the  deep  chasms  and  ravines  among^ 
the  snow-mountains  contain  glaciers.  Alaska 
has  more  and  far  larger  glaciers  than  any  other 
part  of  the  known  world.  In  Lynn  Channel, 
near  to  Pyramid  Harbor,  latitude  59°  12',  we 
saw  a  glacier  twelve  hundred  feet  thick  at  the 
lower  end.  Mount  Falrweather  is  said  to  have 
one  extending  near  fifty  miles  to  the  sea,  being 
three  miles  wide  and  three  hundred  feet  thick. 
The  great  glacier  on  the  Stickeen  River  is  forty 
..liles  long,  over  four  miles  wide,  and  five  hun- 
dred feet  thick.  The  Eagle  Glacier,  on  the  right 
as  we  go  up  Lynn  Channel,  is  laid  down  on  the 
government  chart  as  "  fully  twelve  hundred  feet 
high."  The  glaciers  and  formation  of  icebergs 
at  Takou  Inlet  are  particularly  described  later 
on.  ' 

In  no  portion  of  the  Alps  have  I  encoun- 
tered gigantic  frozen  rivers  equal  to  those  of 
Alaska.  The  ones  which  I  have  crossed,  I  can 
personally  speak  of;  viz.,  the  world-known  Mer 
de  Glace,  Glacier  des  Bossus,  and  the  Corner 
Grat  with  its  six  tributary  frozen  rivers. 

The  aurora  borealis,  far  excelling  any  fire- 
work display  at  the  Crystal  Palace,  is  seen  to 
full  advantage  in  the  northern  districts  of 
Alaska  lying  within  the  arctic  circle.  Bancroft 
describes  it  "as  flashing  out  in  prismatic  cor- 
uscations, throwing  a  brilliant  arch   from  east 


ALASKA. 


183 


to  west,  —  now  in  variegated  oscillations,  grad- 
uating through  all  the  various  tints  of  blue  and 
green  and  violet  and  crimson,  darting,  flashing, 
or  streaming  in  yellow  columns  upward,  down- 
ward ;  now  blazing  steadily,  now  in  wavy  un- 
dulations, sometimes  up  to  the  very  zenith ; 
momentarily  lighting  up  the  surrounding  scene- 
ry, but  only  to  fall  back  into  darkness." 

Whymper,  in  describing  one  display  that  he 
personally  witnessed  on  the  Yukon,  represents 
it  as  a  vast  undulating  snake  crossing  the 
heavens. 

"  Singularly  enough,"  says  Dall,  "  they  call 
the  constellation  of  Ursa  Major  by  the  name  of 
Okil-Ok'puky  and  consider  him  to  be  ever  on 
the  watch  while  the  other  spirits  carry  on  their 
festivities.  None  of  the  spirits  are  regarded 
as  supreme ;  nor  have  the  Innuit  tribes  any 
idea  of  a  deity,  a  state  of  future  reward  or  pun- 
ishment, or  any  system  of  morality." 

Alaska  possesses  one  of  the  largest  rivers  in 
the  world,  —  the  Yukon,  navigable  for  eighteen 
hundred  miles :  its  full  length  is  estimated  to 
be  two  thousand  miles. 

Fish  and  lumber  seem  the  only  inexhaustible 
wealth  which  Alaska  produces.  Fur-bearing 
animals  will  likely  disappear  with  the  approach 
of  civilization ;  and  even  the  seal-fisheries  on 
the  little  island  of  St.  Paul  and  St.  George  will 


Pi  1 

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Hh  /W              |i 

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Hi 

184 


FA'OM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


at  the  present  rate  of  destruction  vanish  int 
time,  I  fear,  as  have  the  buffalo  from  the  plains, 
whose  herds  in  former  years  were  considered 
so  vast  as  to  be  incapable  of  final  extermina- 
tion. 

The  Pribyloff  group  of  islands  in  Behring 
Sea,  leased  from  the  United  States  bv  the 
Alaska  Commercial  Company,  pays  the  govern- 
ment an  annual  rental  of  $55,000,  and  a  royalty 
ol  $262,500  on  the  hundred  thousand  seals 
allowed  by  law  to  be  killed.  The  two  small 
islands  before  mentioned  paid  into  the  United- 
States  Treasury,  between  187 1  and  1880,  two 
and  a  half  mil' 'on  dollars. 

With  regard  to  the  fisheries,  having  visited 
all  the  most  important  canneries  in  Alaska,  I 
should  say  that  the  catching  of  salmon,  cod, 
halibut,  and  herring  would  remain  a  profitable 
industry  for  ages  to  come  ;  for,  though  thou 
sands  of  men  are  laying  their  seines  yearly  in 
the  Columbia,  the  salmon  "  runs "  are  just  as 
large,  and  the  fish  just  as  good,  as  ever. 

I  quote  the  following,  told  by  a  missionary 
on  the  Naass  River :  — 

•*  I  went  up  to  their  fishing-ground  on  the  Naass. 
River,  where  some  five  thousand  Indians  had  assem- 
bled. It  was  what  is  called  their  '  small  fishing : '  the 
salmon-catch  is  at  another  time.  These  small  fish 
form  a  valuable   article   for  food,  and   also   for  oik 


ALASKA. 


185; 


They  come  up  for  six  weeks  only,  and  with  great 
regularity.  The  Naass,  where  I  visited,  was  about  a 
mile  and  a  half  wide,  and  the  fish  had  come  up  in 
great  quantities,  — so  great  that  with  three  nails  upon 
a  stick  an  Indian  could  rake  in  a  canoe-full  in  a  short 
time.  Five  thousand  Indians  were  gathered  together 
from  British  Columbia  and  Alaska,  decked  out  in 
their  strange  and  fanciful  costumes.  Their  faces 
were  painted  red  and  black,  feathers  on  their  heads, 
and  imitations  of  wild  beasts  on  their  dresses. 

"Over  the  fish  was  an  immense  cloud  of  sea-guils 
—  so  many  and  so  thick,  that,  as  they  hovered  about 
looking  for  fish,  the  sight  resembled  a  heavy  fall  of 
snow.  Over  the  gulls  were  eagles  soaring  about, 
watching  their  chance.  After  the  small  fish  had 
come  larger  fish  from  the  ocean.  There  was  the 
halibut,  the  cod,  and  the  porpoise,  and  the  fin-back 
whale,  —  man-life,  fish-life,  and  bird-life,  all  under 
intense  excitement.  And  all  that  animated  life  was, 
to  the  heathen  people,  a  life  of  spirits.  They  paid 
court  to,  and  worshipped,  the  fish  that  they  were  to 
assist  in  destroying ;  greeting  them,  '  You  fish  !  you 
fish  !     You  are  all  chiefs,  you  are  ! '  " 

26///. — Three  months  ago  this  very  hour, — 
11.30  A.M.,  —  our  little  steamer,  the  "  Eureka," 
struck  her  fatal  rock  in  Peril  Straits. 

As  we  left  Wrangell  at  twilight,  the  day  scene 
was  soon  transformed  into  revelries  of  moon- 
light, its  gleams  flooding  the  ice  summits,  and 
lighting  up  the  dark  gorges. 

The    rain   begins   to   descend,  and  we    now 


1» 


In 


m' 


1 86 


/A'OJ/  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


realize  the  humidity  of  Alaska  south  of  the 
arctic  circle.  Nearing  Sitka  I  fully  appreciated 
the  superb  character  of  the  adjacent  regions  ; 
and  though  a  drizzling  mist  is  perpetually  de- 
scending, and  the  sun  no  longer  adds  coloring 
to  the  picture,  enough  of  beauty  is  present  to 
create  enthusiasm. 

The  town,  encompassed  by  mountains,  over- 
looks the  Pacific  towards  the  west.  Mount 
Edgecombe,  the  barometer  of  the  village, 
protects  i  from  the  sea.  Whenever  rain  is 
imminent,  as  a  precursor  of  its  advent,  misty 
clouds  envelop  the  extinct  crater  of  this  once 
active  volcano.  Its  inward  rumblings  and  deadly 
out-throw  of  lava  are  no  longer  felt ;  and  this 
Vesuvius,  standing  guard  over  a  bay  beautiful 
as  Naples,  bears  tidings  of  the  coming  storm. 

As  a  natural  bulwark  for  the  town,  innumer- 
able little  islands  lie  dotted  throughout  the  har- 
bor, against  whose  rugged  opposition  the  waves 
lose  their  force. 

Sitka  contains  some  three  hundred  whites, 
one  hundred  being  Americans,  two  hundred 
Russians  or  Creoles. 

Through  the  courtesy  of  Major  Gouverneur 
J^orris,  United-States  treasury-agent,  collector 
of  the  port  at  Sitka,  with  whom  and  his  wife 
Ave  passed  a  pleasant  evening,  I  obtained  some 
trout-fishing  on  a  little  stream   near  by;    and, 


»^-^.j 


ALASKA. 


187 


though  raining  hard,  in  about  one  hour  his 
secretary  and  I  caught  a  dozen.  The  trout 
here,  as  elsewhere  in  Alaska,  seem  to  prefer 
bright  warm  days,  and  seem  the  opposite  in 
every  respect  to  the  Eastern  species.  In  this 
small  stream  are  four  varieties:  ist,  whitish 
ground,  with  dark  -  brown  spots,  up  to  two 
pounds  in  weight ;  2d,  dark,  whitish  -  green 
body,  with  a  black  strip  along  the  sides  meet- 
ing, at  right  angles,  other  lines  less  clearly 
defined  crossing  over  the  back,  —  run  very 
small,  eight  going  to  the  pound ;  3d,  same 
ground  as  last,  with  pointed  black  spots,  aiso 
very  diminutive ;  4th,  similar  in  ground  and 
markings  as  last,  with  hammer-nose,  also  small 
sized.  All  these  species  take  salmon-roe  or 
a  trout's  eye ;  and,  in  fact,  throughout  Alaska 
I  met  no  one  who  could  vouch  to  having  seen 
a  trout  rise  to  an  artificial  fly.  Whether  this 
arises  from  lack  of  insects  in  these  regions,  I 
am  unable  to  state.  They  bite  vigorously,  but 
are  not  gamey  when  once  hooked.  Those  we 
caught  were  a  couple  of  half-pounders,  includ- 
ing one  big  fellow,  considered  the  biggest 
brook-trout  of  that  season,  weighing  one 
pound. 

Afterwards  the  Russian  priest,  in  company 
with  his  sister,  a  bright  young  girl,  speaking 
English    fluently,    took    us    over   the    Russian 


i88 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


church,  buih  in  the  form  of  a  Greek  cross, 
with  an  emerald-green  dome  surmounted  by  a 
tower  containing  a  clock  and  five  chimes.  One 
wing,  besides  a  curious  font  (the  form  of  bap- 
tism being  immersion),  contains  a  picture  of 
the  Madonna  and  Child  copied  from  the  ori- 
ginal at  Moscow.  The  painting  shows  nothing 
but  the  faces ;  the  background  and  the  drapery 
being  made  of  solid  silver,  the  halo  being  exe- 
cuted in  gold. 

The  church  contains  a  large  picture  of  the 
Last  Supper,  the  crowns  and  vestments  cov- 
ered with  silver.  Immense  candlesticks,  can- 
delabra, and  a  picture  supposed  to  contain 
eleven  pounds  of  wrought  silver,  and  huge  gilt 
frames,  lend  the  inside  a  very  rich  appearance. 
Three  broad  steps  and  four  doors  lead  us  into 
the  "  holy  of  holies,"  across  the  threshold  of 
which  women  are  forbidden  passage.  Within 
stands  the  altar,  little  shrines,  and  closets  con- 
taining magnificent  robes  of  gold  and  silver 
brocade  (together  with  handsome  specimens 
of  needle-work),  from  which  most  of  the  ori- 
ginal jewels  have  been  stolen  or  removed,  and 
replaced  by  others  less  in  value.  One  robe 
made  of  rich  green  velvet  was  particularly 
attractive,  the  bishop's  crown  being  profusely 
adorned  with  pearls  and  amethysts.  The  dim 
religious  light  was  wanting,  the  windows  not 
even  having  been  frosted. 


ALASKA. 


189 


The  Rev.  John  G.  Brady  thus  narrates  the 
tradition  concerning  Mount  Edgecombe  :  — 

"This  is  a  Mount  Olympus  for  the  natives.  They 
say  that  the  first  Indian  pair  lived  peaceably  fc  a 
long  time,  and  were  blessed  with  children.  But  one 
day  a  family  jar  occurred.  The  husband  and  wife 
grew  very  angry  at  each  other.  For  this  the  man 
was  changed  into  a  wolf,  and  the  woman  into  a  raven. 
The  metamorphosed  woman  flew  down  into  the  open 
crater  of  Mount  Edgecombe,  lit  on  a  stump,  and  is 
now  holding  the  earth  on  her  wings.  Whenever 
there  is  thunder  and  lightning  around  the  summit, 
it  is  only  the  wolf  giving  vent  to  his  rage  while  he 
is  trying  to  pull  her  off  the  stump.  It  would  be  a 
great  calamity  if  she  should  lose  her  grip;  for  then 
the  earth  would  be  upset,  and  all  who  live  upon  it 
perish.  So,  whenever  it  thunders,  the  Indians  take 
stones,  and  pound  on  the  floors  of  their  houses,  to 
encourage  the  raven  to  hold  to  the  stump." 

We  now  ascend  the  hill  to  the  old  castle. 
The  castle  was  twice  destroyed  by  Mount  Edge- 
combe when  in  active  operation,  —  once  by  fire, 
and  once  by  an  earthquake. 

Within  this  ruined  remnant  of  the  days  when 
Baron  Romanoff  ruled  with  savage  hand,  — 
its  walls  made  of  vast  hewn  logs,  riveted  with 
copper  fastenings,  —  hardly  any  thing  but  faded 
signs  of  the  grandeur  and  decay  of  this  once 
proud  fortress  remains  as  a  landmark  of  the 
'  terrorism  of  those  days.     The  old  castle  stands 


I 
I 


190 


FROM  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


high  up  on  the  rocks  overlooking   the   lovely 
bay,  and  is  used  as  a  signal-station. 

Old  legends  still  haunt  the  spacious  rooms ; 
and  when  the  wind  howls  through  the  door- 
ways and  rushes  down  the  spacious  chimneys, 
they  tell  many  tales,  of  which  I  here  quote 
two  :  — 


"The  legend  runs,  that,  when  Baron  Romanoff 
was  governor,  he  had  living  with  him  an  orphan 
niece  and  ward-  who  was  very  heautiful.  But  when 
he  commanded  her  to  marry  a  powerful  prince,  who 
was  a  guest  at  the  castle,  she  refused,  having  be- 
stowed her  heart  on  a  handsome  young  Heutenant 
of  the  household.  The  old  baron,  who,  like  the  rest 
of  his  race,  was  an  accomplished  diplomate,  feigning 
an  interest  in  the  young  lieutenant  which  he  did  not 
feel,  sent  him  away  on  a  short  expedition,  and  in  the 
mean  time  hurried  on  the  preparations  for  the  mar- 
riage of  the  poor  countess  to  the  prince.  She,  de- 
prived of  the  support  of  her  lover's  counsels  and 
presence,  yielded  to  the  threats  of  her  uncle ;  and 
the  ceremony  was  solemnized.  Half  an  hour  after 
the  marriage,  while  the  rejoicing  and  gayety  was 
at  its  height,  the  young  lieutenant  strode  into  the 
ball-room,  his  travel-stained  dress  and  haggard  ap- 
pearance contrasting  strongly  with  the  glittering 
costumes  and  gay  faces  of  the  revellers ;  and,,  during 
the  silence  that  followed  his  ominous  appearance, 
he  stepped  up  to  the  hapless  girl,  and  took  her  hand. 
After  gazing  for  a  few  moments  on  the  ring  the 
prince  had  placed  there,  without  a  word,  before  any 


ALASKA. 


\ 


191 


one  could  interfere,  he  drew  a  dagger  from  his  l)clt, 
and  stabbed  her  to  the  heart.  In  the  wild  confusion 
that  followed,  he  escaped  from  the  castle ;  and  over- 
come with  grief,  unable  to  live  without  the  one  he 
so  fondly  loved  yet  ruthlessly  murdered,  he  threw 
himself  into  the  sea.  And  now  her  spirit  is  seen, 
always  on  the  anniversary  of  her  wedding-night,  her 
slender  form  robed  in  heavy  silver  brocade,  pressing 
her  hands  on  the  wound  in  her  heart,  the  tears 
streaming  from  her  eyes ;  and  sometimes  before  a 
severe  storm,  when  she  makes  her  appearance  in  the 
little  tower  at  the  top  of  the  building  once  used  as 
a  light-house.  There  she  burns  a  light  until  dawn, 
for  the  spirit  of  her  lover  at  sea." 


There  are  also  numerous  Indian  traditions, 
one  running  as  follows  :  — 

"There  was  once  but  one  man  and  woman  on  the 
earth.  The  man  had  a  large  box  or  chest  that  he 
guarded  jealously,  never  opening  it.  One  day,  being 
obliged  to  make  a  long  journey  in  company  with  his 
sons,  and  fearing  that  he  might  lose  the  key  if  h(' 
took  it  with  him,  for  the  way  was  long  and  rough, 
he  left  it  with  his  wife  ;  charging  her  on  no  account 
to  open  the  box,  or  permit  her  daughters  to  do  so, 
for  the  result  to  them  all  would  be  fatal.  She  hav- 
ing promised,  he  set  off  with  a  light  heart.  Having 
the  key  in  her  possession,  curiosity  gradually  over- 
came the  woman's  fears ;  and  after  a  few  days  t\he 
hesitated  no  longer,  but,  turning  the  key  in  the  lock, 
opened  the  chest.  Immediately  out  sprang  the  sun, 
moon,  and  stars,  and  began  to  circle  around  in  their 
orbits;  so  day  and  night  began." 


'4- 
ill 


I') 


192 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


27///.  —  Went  on  board  the  American  man- 
of-war  "  Adams,"  under  the  command  of  Capt. 
Merriman.  His  action  with  reference  to  the 
bombardment  of  the  Indian  village  near  Kiles- 
noo  was  criticised  as  hasty,  especially  by  those 
ignorant  of  the  Indian  character.  We  inquired 
into  the  actual  facts. 

The  old  mo'hod  of  harpooning  having  re- 
treated before  the  present  explosive  boml), 
seven  fisherm  :u  near  Kilesnoo  were  carrying 
on  the  killing  i>i  whales  by  means  of  this  latest 
improvement.  One  day,  at  the  critical  moment 
just  r.s  the  bomb  left  the  thrower's  hand,  it 
accidentally  burst,  Killing  an  Indian  medicine- 
chief  who  was  rowing  ;  and  the  Indians,  holding- 
council,  took  two  white  men  prisoners,  demand- 
ing two  hundred  blankets  as  their  ransom  :  the 
remaining  fishermen  managed  to  carry  the  news 
of  the  affair  to  the  man-of-war,  being  then  at 
Sitka.  Capt.  Merriman  instantly  hove  anchor, 
and  steamed  up  ;  upon  which  the  frightened  In- 
dians immediately  returned  the  captives,  having 
refrained  from  killing  them,  as  they  happened 
to  be  imperfect,  or  ''ailhis','  one  lacking  an  eye, 
and  the  other  being  lame  ;  the  Indians  deter- 
mining that  two  perfect  men  must  die  as  an 
atonement  for  the  unfortunate  chieftain.  Capt. 
Merriman,  in  order  to  prevent  any  such  future 
outbreak,  and   as  a  reprimand   for  taking   the 


ALASKA. 


193 


% 


law  into  their  own  hands,  in  turn  demanded 
four  hundred  blankets  from  the  tribe,  with  the 
akernative,  that,  in  case  of  tiie  refusal  to  com- 
ply within  twenty-four  hours,  he  should  open 
fire  on  the  village.  The  day  wore  on,  still  no 
sign  of  compliance.  Exactly  at  the  appointed 
expiration  of  the  time,  the  guns  boomed  forth. 
At  the  first  fire,  i.  1  the  Indians,  seizing  their 
possessions,  ran  into  the  woods  ;  and  after  plenty 
of  time  had  been  allowed  for  their  safe  depart- 
ure, the  artillery  once  more  raked  the  shore, 
ploughing  up  the  banks,  and,  probably  for  the 
first  time  in  their  history,  these  old  mountains 
re-echoed  the  sound  of  cannon.  Several  boats 
having  been  run  upon  the  beach,  the  crew  set 
fire  to  a  few  hovels,  and  then  they  sailed  away. 

At  first  glance,  the  bombardment  and  burn- 
ing of  an  Indian  village  by  an  American  man- 
of-war,  when  reported  East,  sounds  harsh ;  but 
not  so  to  a  settler  in  this  far-off  possession. 
The  whites  have  no  protection  from  the  United 
States,  —  no  judges,  no  marshals,  or  government, 
to  adjust  their  claims.  Miners'  rights  have 
sometimes  to  be  contested  with  the  rifle  :  mur- 
derers and  desperadoes  have  to  be  hanged  by 
lynch-law.  It  is  impossible  for  one  ship  to  be 
at  every  point  along  twelve  hundred  miles  of 
coast  at  the  same  time. 

From  all  sources  we  learned  that  fear  was  the 


194 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO   ALASKA. 


great  force  that  controlled  the  Indians.  Capt. 
Merrlman  is  respected  by  both  Indians  and 
white  men  throughout  Alaska.  The  appear- 
ance of  his  ship-of-war  at  any  station  is  quite 
sufficient  to  produce  quiet,  and  the  occasional 
firing  of  a  gun  at  some  mark  on  the  shore  re- 
calls to  mind  the  bombardment.  The  damaged 
village  soon  sprang  up  again,  better  houses 
taking  the  place  of  the  former  wretched  shan- 
ties. 

The  Alaska  Indians  are  very  penurious,  and 
even  miserly.  They  can  live  on  a  little  dried 
salmon  the  year  round. 

Marked  instances  occasionally  are  met  with 
among  the  missionaries  of  British  Columbia 
and  Alaska,  who  have  had  great  success  among 
the  Indians  by  honest  dealing,  understanding 
the  language  thoroughly,  and  then  entering 
upon  their  Christian  labor  by  first  teaching  them 
how  to  provide  for  their  physical  wants. 

The  collectors  try  to  restrain  the  sale  of  rum, 
whiskey,  and  other  alcoholic  drinks  ;  but  through 
smuggling  and  other  means  thqir  introduction 
is  effected.  In  fact,  saloon-keeping  at  Sitka  is 
by  no  means  the  least  profitable  source  of  in- 
come. Considerable  molasses  is  imported,  out 
of  which  the  Indian  makes  hochenoo,  a  very 
intoxicating  drink,  the  receipt  having  been 
brought  them  by  a  government  marine.     They 


ALASKA. 


19? 


distil  the  molasses  in  a  coal-oil  can,  a  clash  of 
petroleum  being  added  ;  and  a  little  flour  causes 
the  fermentation. 

Ever>  silver  half-dollar  and  dollar  given  to 
the  Indians  at  Wrangell  or  Sitka,  they  soon  beat 
into  bracelets,  cleverly  finishing  their  work  by 
skilful  carvings. 


196 


FROM  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 


M'^ 


KILESNOO.  —  BARTLETT'S  COVE.  —  PYRAMID  HARBOR.  — 
SALMON-CANNERY. 

We  now  approached  Kilesnoo,  the  codfish- 
cannery  under  \  c.  Vanderbilt,  to  whom,  as  well 
as  to  many  others  in  Alaska,  we  had  letters 
from  the  president  of  the  North-west  Trading 
Company. 

An  Indian,  christened  Saginaw  Jack  by  Com- 
mander Glass,  was  strutting  about  th(;  wharf, 
upon  whom  various  uniforms  and  letters  of  in- 
troduction had  been  bestowed  by  various  navy- 
men.  In  twelve  hours  he  appeared  in  three 
uniforms,  —  middy's,  then  captain's,  and  lastly, 
as  the  vessel  casts  off,  he  swaggers  and  rolls 
round  in  all  the  splendor  and  glittering  tinsel 
of  a  general  in  the  United-States  army.  At 
his  request  we  visited  his  wife,  who,  lying  on 
the  bed,  was  groaning  from  pain  caused  by 
inflammation  of  the  feet. 

Mr.  Vanderbilt  told  us  an  amusing  incident 
of  the  result,  in  one  case,  of  the  effect  of  at- 
tempts to  educate  the  Indians :  one  fellow  no 


X 


ALASKA. 


197 


•sooner  had  recei  ed  the  rudiments  of  arithmetic 
than  he  raised  a  note  of  twenty-five  cents  to 
two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars. 

Col.  Crittenden,  formerly  collector  of  the  port 
at  Wrangell,  told  us  an  aneccote  about  the 
sagacity  of  some  crows,  which  adds  another 
argument  in  favor  of  the  reasoning  faculties  of 
dumb  animals.  A  quantity  of  crows  having 
torn  in  pieces  some  of  his  chickens,  wh'ch  he 
was  attempting  to  raise,  he  prepared  for  battle, 
and  on  the  first  charge  shot  four ;  on  their 
retiring,  Hying  rather  low  over  his  head  at 
intervals,  he  managed  to  bring  down  six.  more. 
Then  all  of  them,  cawing  at  their  best,  held  a 
consultation  on  a  neighboring  slope,  and  flew 
next  time  some  hundred  yards  high.  Nothing 
more  happened  ;  but  next  morning  every  one 
of  his  turnips,  before  unmolested,  had  been  up- 
rooted and  picked  to  pieces,  though  not  eaten. 
Whether  this  was  accident,  I  am  unable  to 
judge  ;  but  I  'give  it  as  told. 

The  Vanderbilt  cottage  was  tastefully  and 
picturesquely  arranged,  a  woman's  touch  being 
evidently  near ;  while  the  glowing  fire  throwing 
its  light  over  the  floor  covered  with  bear-skins, 
together  with  the  bright  cheerful  face  of  our 
hostess,  made  us  feel  nearer  civilization  than 
this  high  latitude  would  justify. 

To  give  some  idea  of  the  lack  of  fruit,  Mrs. 


m 


iiiiii' 

ii 


I 


!ii 


HI   n  1 


!  J   ' 


P^ 


!^i 


in 


r' 


'IR'  . 


mo 


Vllllllfl  :! 


'   I  PI 


1     I  :!« 


198 


F/iOM  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


Vanderbilt  had  not  tasted  strawberries  for  six 
years. 

The  Indians  here,  as  elsewhere,  owned  quan- 
tities of  mongrel  dogs,  a  species  of  cayote,. 
half  wolf  and  half  fox,  sharp-snouted,  wire- 
haired,  having  "  a  lean  and  hungry  look," 
though  differing  from  Cassius  probably  in  think- 
ing "  too  much."  Tht,  Indians  put  tin  tags- 
round  the  necks  of  those  dogs  they  wish  un- 
harmed ;  for  many,  even  on  seeing  one  come 
near  the  house,  shoot  him  at  sight. 

Like  the  Indians  of  the  plain,  these  savages 
enjoy  as  dainties  filthy  things  too  disgusting  to 
mention. 

People  thought,  when  Secretary  Seward  made 
his  purchase  of  Alaska,  that  the  region  would 
never  be  more  than  a  land  of  ice-bound  rivers ; 
little  realizinof  that  the  seal-fisheries  alone  would 
pay  a  six-per-cent  interest  on  the  cost. 

The  Indian  women  throughout  Alaska  gen- 
erally paint  their  faces  black,  giving  them  a 
hideous  aspect,  for  which  many  reasons  were 
assigned,  but  no  one  in  particular  above  the 
rest:  ist,  on  hot  days,  when  fishing  on  the 
water,  as  a  preventive  against  glare,  flies,  and 
mosquitoes ;  2d,  when  oil,  as  a  polish,  is  added, 
young  women  adopt  it  merely  for  show  or  orna- 
ment ;  3d,  sign  of  mourning ;  4th,  a  sign  of 
anger,  a  caution  to  their  enemies  that  they  had 


ALASKA. 


199 


r  SIX 


tags 


better  take  themselves  off;  5th,  old  women 
adopt  it  as  a  concealment  of  old  age. 

As  these  topics  of  interest  were  being  dis- 
cussed, supper  was  announced :  when  it  was 
finished,  and  the  table  cleared,  we  enjoyed 
whist  until  late. 

Just  before  leaving,  Mr.  Vanderbilt  presented 
us  with  some  pretty  specimens  of  Indian  work. 

Finally  the  ship  cast  off  at  three  a.m.  in 
search  of  Bartlett's  Cove,  —  as  yet  not  down 
on  the  chart,  —  a  newly  established  salmon- 
cannery  to  which  we  were  bringing  a  cargo  of 
nets,  staves,  and  other  commodities. 

July  28.  — As  we  reached  the  deck,  our  speed 
being  about  four  or  five  knots  an  hour,  on  our 
port  side  lay  shoals,  reaching  far  out  into  the 
straits.  The  undulating  sands  were  covered 
with  sea-birds.  Gliding  on  through  unknown 
waters  (neither  captain  nor  pilot  ever  having 
been  there  before),  the  scene  was  all  the  more 
attractive  :  icebergs,  glaciers,  whales,  porpoises, 
sea-lions,  all  gave  novelty  to  the  scene.  In- 
dians occasionally  shot  out  from  the  shore  in 
their  little  canoes ;  but  all  attempts  at  conver- 
sation in  the  Hudson-bay  dialect  —  Chinook  — 
were  a  failure,  none  of  the  dusky  islanders 
understanding  a  wo     . 

On,  on,  we  sailed  ;  rounding  headlands,  hug- 
ging shores,  and  casting  the  lead  at  frequent 


200 


FROM  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


n 


intervals.  Once  when  the  leadsman  had 
shouted,  "  Fourteen  fathoms,  no  bottom !  "  al- 
most directly  we  heard  the  cry,  "  Four  fathoms, 
bottom  !  "  Immediately  the  engines  were  re- 
versed, and  we  crept  on  at  a  slow  pace  until 
the  dangerous  shoal  was  passed. 

Twenty  miles  having  been  wandered  over, 
towards  afternoon  we  reached  suddenly  a  ctd- 
de-sac,  and  inquired  of  an  Indian  there,  who 
by  gestures  gave  us  the  information  that  we 
were  some  thirty  miles  off  our  course.  We 
then  re-sailed  our  course. 

Finally  toward  evening,  after  rounding  a. 
point,  we  saw  a  few  white  specks  in  the  dis- 
tance, which  the  sunlight  brought  out  distinctly; 
and  our  glass  revealed  the  longed-for  tent. 
There  we  found  a  man,  living  with  an  Indiaa 
woman,  who  in  this  wild  land  was  striking  out 
in  the  hope  of  making  money  by  canning  sal- 
mon. Canoes  took  off  the  cargo,  shooting  to 
and  fro  ;  the  colored  blankets  and  barbaric  attire 
of  the  Indians  giving  to  the  scene  a  wild  charm. 

I  bought  a  very  fine  skin  of  a  large  black 
bear  which  the  Indians  had  killed  but  a  few 
days  before:  this,  I  thought,  would  make  a  good 
sleigh-robe. 

1  he  first  run  of  salmon  was  over ;  and  as  the 
meshes  of  their  nets  had  been  too  large,  being 
intended  for  the  Columbia  River,  the  fishermea 


ALASA'A. 


201 


waited  our  arrival  for  new  nets,  although  the 
second  run  has  smaller  fish. 

Jtily  29.  —  At  about  three  a.m.  father  awoke 
me  to  see  the  grand  ^j^iacier  which  we  just  then 
passed :  and  by  the  weird  light  of  a  nightless 
day  we  watched  this  wonderful  frozen  river ; 
waterfalls  at  intervals  dashing  down  the  oppo- 
site bank,  demanding  in  their  turn  our  admira- 
tion. 

We  reached  Pyramid  Harbor,  —  latitude  59° 
12',  —  where  one  of  the  chief  canneries  of  the 
North-west  Trading  Company  was  established 
under  Mr.  Karl  Spuhn,  to  whom  we  had  letters. 

The  ship  having  to  lie  over  all  that  day  and 
night,  the  captain  and  I  shouldered  our  rifles, 
and  with  two  dogs,  under  the  guidance  of  two 
Indians,  —  one  being  a  chief  of  some  note, — 
started  up  the  mountain  directly  behind  the 
cannery.  We  had  been  warned  concerning  the 
difficulties  to  be  encountered :  the  white  men 
telling  us  that  none  but  Indians  had  ever 
reached  the  top  ;  that  they  themselves  had  all 
tried,  but  the  extreme  steepness  —  the  grade 
being  nearly  forty-five  degrees  for  four  thou- 
sand feet  —  had  finally  proved  too  difficult. 

The  experience  gained  in  parts  of  Canada, 
California,  and  Svvitzerland,  led  me  to  suppose 
that  a  mountain  only  four  thousand  feet  high 
could  hardly  be  inacessiblc.     To  be  sure,  the 


?i 


Pacific  hi.  W.  (-lictorv  D.opt 

PROVINCIAL   LIBRARY 
VICTORIA.  B.  C. 


202 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


I 


ascent  was  from  the  water's  edge,  and  not  as 
at  Zermatt,  Chamonix,  and  the  Engadine,  from 
a  base  itself  already  several  thousands  of  feet 
above  the  sea-level.  There  was  no  evidence 
of  ice,  and  we  could  not  see  any  rock  ahead 
above  us  ;  and  I  thought  all  would  go  well. 

From  our  start  we  thrust  our  hands  in  the 
soil,  or  clutched  at  the  brush  ;  most  of  our  way 
being  over  low  hanging  boughs,  through  springy 
branches  of  a  small  bush  from  which  the  Indi- 
ans make  their  baskets.  Of  course  our  guns 
added  to  the  difficulty,  as  they  could  hardly 
be  used  as  alpenstocks  with  any  safety. 

We  had  started  early  in  the  morning,  and  all 
went  well  for  four  or  five  hours.  Finally  the 
young  spaniel  gave  up ;  and  our  kind-hearted 
captain  made  him  lie  on  his  back,  and  cross  his 
fore-paws  like  a  monkey  round  his  neck.  This 
extra  weight  added  to  the  slipperiness  of  the 
ascent,  which  was  so  abrupt  and  arduous  that 
after  five  hours  the  captain  gave  up,  turned 
about,  and  began  a  rather  hasty  descent :  in 
fact,  for  several  hundred  yards  I  could  hear  him 
as  he  went  downwards,  occasionally  more  sud- 
denly than  he  intended. 

Upward,  still  upward,  went  the  Indians,  with 
that  slow,  enduring  saunter  of  theirs,  which 
seemed  never  to  tire ;  occasionally  they  would 
look  round,  with  a  sort  of  pitying  expression, 


ALASKA. 


203 


to  see  how  the  poor  white  was  progressing. 
At  last  we  reached  snow,  over  which  we  passed 
to  the  summit.  And  there  spread  out  before 
me  was  a  panoramic  view  of  lake  and  mountain 
scenery  on  a  scale  far  surpassing  in  grandeur  any 
thincf  I  had  ever  seen.  The  sudden  outburst 
of  splendor  was  all  the  more  striking  from  the 
fact  of  our  course  having  been  through  brush. 
I  was  hardly  prepared  for  the  sudden  change. 
In  the  foreground ,  that  which  I  before  consid- 
ered the  mainland  now  changed  to  islands ; 
beyond  lay  rivers,  snow-mountains,  glaciers, 
waterfalls,  the  e?tsemble  forming  a  wilderness  of 
solitude  which  I  had  not  before  imagined.  We 
then  made  a  detour,  shot  some  grouse  and  a 
few  ground-hogs,  and  began  our  return.  It 
had  taken  some  eight  hours  to  mount :  the 
descent  only  took  two  and  a  half.  Reaching 
the  snowbanks,  we  tobogganed  down ;  and  in 
some  places,  on  account  of  the  grade,  we  had 
no  difficulty  in  sliding  dcwn  over  the  soil  and 
stones,  merely  placing  our  feet  together,  half 
sitting  down.  A  "root  or  badly  parried  limb 
occasionally  sent  us  sprawling ;  but  I  soon  got 
used  to  it,  and  became  quite  an  adept  at  avoid- 
ing obstacles.  The  rain  unfortunately  fell  just 
as  we  began  to  descend,  and  I  reached  the  ship 
wet  to  the  skin. 

So  much  for  an  Alaska  mountain.     May  I  be 


I 


204 


I' ROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


n  "!'■  'Ti 


pardoned  for  not  attempting  another,  for  a 
Swiss  Alp  is  pleasure  compared  to  the  toil  of 
even  one  of  these :  to  be  sure,  those  in  Switz- 
erland are  more  dangerous. 

After  inspecting  the  process  of  canning 
salmon,  from  the  time  when  they  are  freshly 
landed  from  the  net,  to  when  they  are  her- 
metically sealed  in  tins,  and  boiled  ready  for 
shipment,  we  cast  off,  turned  our  bow  south- 
ward, and  began  our  return  trip. 

Passing  down  Lynn  Channel,  we  had  on  our 
left  the  colossal  "  Eagle  Glacier,"  which  is  laid 
down  upon  the  government  chart  as  "  fully 
twelve  hundred  feet  high." 

In  the  early  morning  of  the  30th  of  July  we 
entered  Takou  Inlet,  which  the  captain  kindly 
went  far  out  of  his  way  to  show  us.  Here 
are  two  immense  glaciers  not  far  apart.  They 
looked  like  enormous  rivers,  whose  waters  were 
piled  up  as  in  a  freshet,  congealed  into  solid 
ice.  and  rising  several  hundred  feet  above  our 
heads,  and  running  back,  as  we  were  assured, 
some  forty  miles.  The  bay  was  filled  with 
more  than  a  thousand  icebergs,  making  the 
navigation  dangerous,  and  requiring  the  steamer 
to  move  slowly  and  cautiously. 

Here,  for  the  first  time,  we  saw  how  icebergs 
are  formed.  The  great  ice-river  is  in  perpetual 
flow  towards  the  inlet,  but  imperceptibly  to  the 


ALASA'A. 


205 


sight.  As  it  protrudes  o/er  the  water,  the  ice 
spHts  off  in  every  imaginable  size  and  form : 
some  of  it  breaks  into  small  fragments,  and  a 
part  floats  off  in  huge  ice-cliffs  on  their  slow 
way  to  the  ocean.  The  varied  beauty  of  their 
colors  is  inconceivably  charming.  Some  of 
them  are  of  uniform  deep  azure  ;  but  more  are 
of  purest  white,  striped  in  their  fretwork  with 
silver  and  the  most  delicate  cerulean  blue  :  their 
shapes  assume  every  fantastic  appearance,  from 
a  camel  to  a  cathedral,  from  a  ship  to  a  fairy 
palace,  and  a  mountain  peak  of  snow. 

I  took  delight  in  taking  passing  shots  at  some 
of  the  more  slender  tapering  minarets  of  ice, 
and  seeing  them  reel  and  come  shivering  down 
the  side. 

Seals  timidly  came  up  occasionally,  and  sus- 
piciously stared  at  us  in  wonderment,  and  then 
dived  under. 

Here  I  could  but  inwardly  exclaim,  that  any- 
American  who  wished  to  sail  over  the  deep  and 
waveless  sea,  where  no  sickness  from  the  mo- 
tion could  ever  disturb  him,  where  the  air  was 
pure  and  bracing,  and  the  appetite  voracious, 
where  the  glaciers  and  the  mountains  and  the 
lake  scenes  surpass  any  thing  in  Switzerland, 
and  where  the  midnight  sun  can  be  seen  at  a 
higher  latitude  than  in  Norway,  should  come 
to  Alaska. 


206 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


I 


As  we  moved  nearer  the  north  shore,  I  was 
startled  from  my  revery  by  the  leadsman's  cry, 
"  Four  fathom's  bottom  !  "  Instantly  reversing 
our  engines,  we  stopped  just  in  time,  the  screw 
stirring  up  the  mud  as  we  turned. 

After  leaving  this  wonderful  inlet,  we  ap- 
proached Juneau,  the  great  mining-camp  of 
Alaska.  Juneau  is  also  known  as  Harrisburg 
of  late.  Even  as  we  touched  the  wharf,  we 
noticed  something  unusual  in  the  scene,  —  no 
bustle,  no  merriment,  no  noise ;  all  quiet,  men 
pale  ;  even  the  men  who  helped  tie  up  refrained 
from  the  usual  profane  small-talk  generally 
adopted  on  those  occasions.  A  few  Indians  of 
both  sexes  squatted  here  and  there,  surly, 
gloomy,  and  lowering  in  aspect.  As  our  eyes 
Avanderet  along  the  shore,  searching  for  a 
cause,  tliere,  standing  out  plainly  defined  against 
the  dark  background,  we  saw  a  newly  erected 
gallows  under  which  an  Indian's  body  slowly 
swayed  to  and  fro. 

Col.  Barry,  officer  of  the  port,  and  Mr. 
Koehler,  manager  of  the  North-west  Trading- 
store,  placed  us  in  possession  of  the  general 
facts  which  necessitated  the  execution  of  lynch- 
law. 

Dr.  McLean,  who  was  present,  gave  us  the 
following  details  of  the  transactions  which  pre- 
ceded our  arrival :  — 


I  I 


ALASA'A. 


207 


"The  principal  mining-camp  is  at  the  basin, 
about  a  mile  from  the  tov/n.  The  two  points 
are  connected  by  a  trail  which  is  much  fre- 
quented by  whites  and  Indians.  On  the  trail 
are  two  whiskey-houses,  one  kept  by  Richard 
Rennie,  a  native  of  Jersey  Island,  Eng.  ;  and 
the  other,  by  a  Frenchman  named  Martin. 
These  saloons  are  ostensibly  to  furnish  liquors 
to  the  miners,  but  in  reality  to  the  Indians. 

"  About  three  weeks  ago  Rennie  and  Martin 
got  drunk,  and  during  the  evening  exchanged, 
cabins   by   mistake ;    i.e.,   Rennie   going    into 
Martin's  cabin,  and  Martin   taking   possession 
of  Rennie's  cabin. 

"  During  the  night  an  Indian  broke  into 
Martin's  cabin  where  Rennie  was  sleeping,  and 
stole  a  bottle  of  whiskey.  Rennie  got  up,  and 
struck  the  Indian,  who  then  ran  away.  Early 
next  morning  Martin  went  to  the  camp  with  a 
demijohn  of  whiskey,  and,  after  giving  the  Indi- 
ans a  drink,  asked  them  to  keep  the  demijohn 
for  him.  He  then  returned  to  his  own  cabin, 
and  found  Rennie  there.  Rennie  told  him 
about  the  Indian  stealing  the  whiskey,  and  that 
he  had  chastised  him.  Martin  told  him  he  had 
no  right  to  do  that,  as  the  whiskey  was  his 
[Martin's]. 

"  Rennie  then  took  a  bung-starter,  and  went 
after  the  Indians  at  the  camp.     While  on  the 


■liiiTiiiiiiii 


I 


i 
111 


.1 


J 


■ffO 

li 


I  tmii 


mmmW 


mil 


208 


/■A'OA/  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


way  to  the  camp,  he  met  two  Indians,  who  as- 
saulted him  with  a  club,  breaking  his  skull. 
When  found  he  was  insensible,  and  remained 
in  that  condition  for  twenty-four  hours,  when  he 
expired.  From  an  autopsy  made  by  me,  it  was 
clearly  shown  that  he  had  been  struck  from 
behind  with  a  heavy  blunt  instrument,  and  the 
skull  badly  fractured. 

"The  two  suspected  Sitka  Indians  were  ar- 
rested ;  and  they  confessed  to  having  knocked 
Rennie  down,  but  accused  Rennie  of  first  strik- 
ing  them.  I  examined  the  Indians,  and  found 
no  mark  except  one  several  days  old.  The  In- 
dians in  their  confession  admitted  that  Martin 
and  a  Russian  named  Zackaloff  were  looking 
on  at  the  time,  but  did  not  attempt  to  interfere. 

"  In  arresting  the  two  Indians,  a  third  Sitka 
Indian  resisted  the  arrest ;  and  all  three  were 
marched  to  jail,  and  ironed,  to  await  the  arrival 
of  the  mail- steamer.  Guards  were  placed  at 
the  jail  both  day  and  night. 

"  One  of  the  day  guards,  named  Dennis,  was 
very  careless,  and  allowed  the  Indians  to  roam 
around  the  jail-building  without  having  hand- 
cuffs on.  During  his  temporary  absence  out- 
side the  building,  the  Indians  took  a  pistol  out 
of  the  cupboard.  On  the  return  of  i"he  guard, 
and  while  he  was  looking  out  of  the  window,  he 
was  shot  in  the  left  hip  ;  the  ball  coming  out 


I 


ALASKA. 


209 


near  the  floating  rib  on  the  right  side.  Dennis 
then  fired  his  pistol  several  times,  and  alarmed 
the  town.  The  Indians  then  ran  to  the  camp, 
taking  the  pistol  with  them. 

"  The  first  man  to  reach  the  jail  was  an  old 
American  soldier,  named  Major  Given s  ;  and,  as 
soon  as  he  saw  the  condition  of  Dennis,  he 
rushed  down  the  hill,  and  found  the  Indians  in 
a  house,  trying  to  get  the  shackles  off  with  an 
axe.  He  forced  open  the  door,  when  he  was 
shot  through  the  right  lung,  and  fell  to  the 
ground.  Another  Indian  took  the  axe,  and  cut 
his  head  and  face  in  a  terrible  manner.  Two 
of  the  Indians  then  put  for  the  woods,  the  one 
shackled  remaining  in  the  house. 

"  One  of  the  retreating  Indians  was  shot 
dead  by  some  infuriate  citizens,  and  the  other 
got  away.  The  one  remaining  in  the  house 
was  arrested,  tried  by  a  jury  of  citizens,  found 
guilty,  and  hung  this  morning  as  you  were 
entering  the  harbor." 

The  corpse  was  soon  cut  down.  As  -v^e 
stood  on  the  deck,  a  little  funeral-procession 
wound  up  the  hill,  carrying  the  body  of  Ma  or 
Givens,  whom  the  Indians  had  murdered,  A 
mournful  sight  it  was,  to  see  a  funeral  In  this 
far-away  land,  the  sadness  and  dreariness  being 
heightened  by  the  dull  gray  sky,  drizzling  rain, 
and  discordant  tolling  of  the  little  church-bell. 


m 
m 

ii 


I! 


2IO 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


I-  I 


ll< 


Slowly  the  procession  passed  out  of  sight,  and 
soon  was  lost  behind  the  great  crags. 

Father  and  I  entered  the  house  where  they 
were  mourning  over  the  body  o{  'n^  young 
Indian  who  had  been  hung  thai  \i'.i  ,:ig.  All 
the  women  were  wailing  rnd  weeping,  while 
the  sister  of  the  dead  man  fixedly  gazed  on  her 
brother's  body  laid  out  in  white  ;  the  long  sheet 
being  pulled  up  close  round  his  neck  to  hide 
the  scar  of  the  rope,  and  a  pink  silk  handker- 
chief covering  his  head.  On  uncovering,  the 
face  seemed  peaceful,  the  only  expression  of 
pain  being  the  tight  compression  of  the  lips. 
The  scene  was  full  of  sorrow;  and  I  shall  noi 
soon  forget  the  sad,  wan  look  of  that  '^vir 
keeping  vigil  at  the  head  of  the  dead. 

Passing  on,  we  glanced  at  the  room  wl-^e 
the  guard  Dennis  lay  dying ;  and  we  were  ^'Ot!' 
right  glad  to  leave  this  scene  of  lamentation, 
and  return  to  the  ship. 

Finding  we  could  not  sail  for  three  hours,  I 
went  again  tc  the  Nor :h- west  Store,  where 
Mr.  Koehler  gave  me  a  pretty  spec-i' en  of 
Indian  basket-work. 

Mr.  Spuhn  had  the  da;'  uefore  present jd  to 
my  father  an  enchanter's  mantle,  lavishly  woven 
by  hand,  curiously  wrovir  !  *  in  devices;  each 
sign  or  mark  represcntmg  some  monster  or 
spirit  which  the  sorcerer's  power  was  supposed 
to  conjure  up. 


ALASKA. 


2ir 


While  we  were  watchin"'  the  Indians  makinof 
their  crafty  bargains,  —  exchanging  their  Httle 
heapi  of  gold-dust  or  hides,  for  cotton  and 
wool  goods,  trinkets,  ribbons,  tobacco,  or  pow- 
der, —  suddenly  there  arose  cries  and  yells  of 
"Indians  are  coming!"  Hurried  mysterious 
mutterings  were  heard  from  the  red  men,  and 
as  if  by  magic  the  store  was  empty.  Drawing 
my  revolver,  I  rushed  out ;  and  from  every  di- 
rection the  miners  were  comlno-  each  little  lopf 
hut  yielding  up  its  owner  armed  with  an  old 
Hudson  -  bay  gun  or  Winchester.  In  a  few 
moments  all  the  men  who  possessed  guns  were 
mustered  in  the  little  open  street,  numbering 
all  told  some  twenty-six;  while  others  who  pos- 
sessed revolvers  also  joined  in  with  the  rest. 
On  the  side  of  the  hill  towards  the  mxining-camp 
we  could  see  a  mass  of  men  advancing  in  strag- 
gling lines,  and  ^rom  the  numbers  we  concluded 
that  the  fight  would  be  a  bloody  one. 

The  camp  happened  just  then  to  be  short  of 
ammunition,  and  for  the  Hudson-bay  guns  only 
sixty  rounds  remained :  bayonets  had  been 
served  out  with  the  rides,  which  when  at  close 
quarters  would  probably  prove  useful.  The 
hostile  band  were  supposed  to  be  the  Sitka 
tribe  coming  to  avenge  the  death  of  their  two 
members,  and  as  they  drew  near  the  flash  of 
guns  could  distinctly  be  seen.     Knowing  that 


w 


!*l 


I'iM 


-■:   !'|!i|il 
■I 


m 


w 


II   ! 


i.    I 


212 


FA'OM  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


the  trading-store  would  probably  be  the  great- 
est resort  for  plunder,  we  began  to  barricade ; 
and  rushing  up-stairs,  I  secured  an  old  Win- 
chester with  twenty-four  rounds.  This,  added 
to  the  six  bullets  in  my  revolver,  was  all  we 
three  possessed  ;  but,  as  the  staircase  was  very 
narrow,  we  made  up  our  minds  to  shoot  from 
the  window  until  the  barricades  had  been 
forced,  and  then  fight  on  the  staircase  until 
help  arrived,  either  from  the  ship  half  a  mile 
off,  or  from  those  who  would  fight,  guerrilla- 
like, from  behind  the  huts. 

Just  as  we  were  expecting  to  hear  the  ping 
of  a  bullet,  an  Indian  came  forward,  and  ex- 
plained that  they  had  captured  the  third 
murderer,  and  were  bringing  him  to  justice. 
Instead  of  being  hostile  to  us,  they  were 
friendly,  and  at  enmity  with  the  Sitkas. 

A  great  load  of  anxiety  was  lifted  from  all, 
although  I  confess  that  the  prospect  of  an  In- 
dian fight  had  been  exhilarating. 

And  now  came  out  those  traits  which  stig- 
matize lynch-law  so  forcibly.  "  Run  him  out !  " 
"  Let's  have  a  shot  at  him ! "  and  other  such 
exclamations,  seemed  for  an  instant  to  be 
gaining  favor.  But  finally  soberer  sentiments 
prevailed  ;  and  he  was  taken  off  to  the  meeting- 
house, while  several  went  down  to  the  ship  to 
prevail  on  my  father  to  come  up  and  see  if  he 


ALASKA. 


213 


very 
from 
been 
until 
mile 
irrilla- 


I 


•could  not  prevent  an  execution  in  mad  haste, 
without  proper  investigation.  Father,  the  cap- 
tain, and  I  then  hurried  up  to  the  scene ;  nor  a 
moment  too  soon,  for  already  the  Indian  had 
been  adjudged  guilty,  and  the  procession  to 
the  scaffold  was  on  its  way  with  the  prisoner. 

My  father  interrupted  the  march,  and  de- 
manded an  interview  with  the  leader  of  the 
band  of  armed  men.  The  leader,  a  resolute 
man  with  an  honest  face,  came  forward  ;  and 
my  father  told  him  that  he  had  interrupted  the 
execution  lest  the  miners  should  do  a  rash 
act,  under  excitement,  which  they  might  for- 
ever regret,  and  claimed  to  know  upon  what 
evidence  they  were  about  to  take  a  human  life. 

The  man  replied  that  this  Indian  had  killed 
Major  Givens  with  an  axe  while  in  the  perform- 
ance of  his  duty. 

"  Who  saw  him  strike  Major  Givens  with  the 
axe  ? "  said  my  father. 

"The  doctor,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Where  is  the  doctor  ? " 

"  He  has  gone  to  the  camp  to  attend  a 
person." 

"  Who  else  saw  the  blow  struck  ?  " 

"The  chief,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Where  is  the  chief? " 

"  There,"  pointing  to  an  Indian  not  far  away. 

"  Bring  him    here  with  an  interpreter,"  said 


I 


-f 


^1 


M 
i    I 
i{'  i 

«     i 


i 


214 


FROM  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


my  father,  who  then  carefully  examined  him ; 
and  the  chief  admitted  all  that  was  charged 
against  the  prisoner,  and  said  that  h'^  saw  the 
blow  struck  which  killed  Major  Givens.  Other 
witnesses  testified  to  the  same. 

]\Ir.  Fuller  (I  think  that  was  the  leader's 
name)  then  said,  "  We  have  no  court,  no  judge, 
no  marshal,  here.  The  government  gives  us 
no  protection,  and  we  are  obliged  to  protect 
ourselves.  We  are  daily  exposed  on  our  way 
to  and  return  from  the  mining-camp  ;  and  we 
must  punish  the  murderers  cf  our  comrades,  or 
be  ourselves  murdered."  He  seemed  a  sober, 
serious,  brave  man,  and  said  he  was  from  Mas- 
sachusetts. 

Then  the  w^hite  men  who  were  armed  with 
rifles,  about  twenty-seven  in  aP  formed  around 
the  gallows  to  prevent  a  rescue  by  the  hostile 
Indians  who  were  near. 

The  prisoner  mounted  the  scaffold  with  un- 
daunted air,  and  stood  under  the  cross-beam 
from  which  hung  the  fatal  rope.  His  hands 
were  tied,  and  the  noose  placed  around  his 
neck.  He  repeated  the  Lord's  Prayer  in  pretty 
good  English.  It  seemed  a  strange  coincidence, 
that  the  three  murderers  were  all  Christians, 
converted  by  the  faithful  missionaries,  as  we 
were  told.  After  saying,  "  Good-by  Indians, 
good-by  white  men,"  a  red  silk   handkerchief,. 


ALASKA. 


215 


mce, 


presented  by  an  Indian  woman,  was  passed  up 
on  the  point  of  a  bayonet,  and  tied  over  his 
eyes. 

A  long  rope  ran  from  the  stud  which  sup- 
ported the  plank  upon  which  the  Indian  stood ; 
and  the  leader  of  the  band  of  miners,  amid  the 
most  impressive  silence,  said  in  a  loud,  clear 
voice  of  stern  command,  "  Let  every  miner  in 
this  camp  bear  a  hand  to  the  rope,  and  take  his 
share  in  the  responsibilities  of  this  hour !  " 

The  order  was  obeyed.  A  jerk  of  the  rope 
—  tJie  plank  fell,  and  the  murderer's  neck  was 
instantly  broken  by  his  fall. 

We  moved  away  in  silence,  and  went  sadly 
back  to  the  steamer ;  and,  as  we  left  this  place 
of  violence  and  lawless  death,  we  felt  that  our 
government  had  neglected  its  duty  in  failing 
to  organize  a  Christian  rule  over  this  wild  ter- 
ritory which  we  had  purchased. 

As  we  slowly  steamed  away  in  the  dusky 
afternoon,  we  looked  back  from  the  deck ;  and 
on  the  gallows  of  new  wood,  standing  out 
against  the  dark  background,  we  saw  the 
swinging  body  of  the  dead,  and  heard  only 
the  lapping  of  the  wavelets  on  the  beach, 
and  the  requiem-dirge  of  the  moaning  winds 
along  the  mountains. 

Jtily  31.  —  On  our  way  back  to  Fort  Wran- 
gell,  where  we  intended  to  take  the  mails  on 


Mi' 


2l6 


FROM  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


i   • 


\:. 


^^: 


board,  we  went  outside,  and  experienced  quite  a 
swell.  Passing  through  a  channel,  we  touched 
bottom :  the  ship  reeled,  but  recovered  herself, 
the  speed  of  eleven  knots  carrying  her  over 
the  shoal  in  safety.  There  was  no  sign  on  the 
chart  accounting  for  it. 

At  Wrangell  we  took  on  board  an  interesting 
fur-trader,  named  Sylvester,  on  his  way  to  Vic- 
toria, where  he  hoped  to  dispose  of  his  annual 
supply  of  two  thousand  pelts. 

Aug.  I.  —  About  noon  we  changed  salutes 
with  the  English  man-of-war  the  "  Mutine,"  on 
its  way  to  Sitka,  having  Admiral  and  Mrs. 
Lyons  on  board. 

Aug.  2. — Weather  not  quite  so  propitious. 
Somewhat  rough  on  Queen  Charlotte's  Sound. 
Mr.  Sylvester,  the  fur-trader,  on  my  father's 
remarking  that  the  scenery  we  were  just  then 
passing  was  very  grand,  replied,  "  Yes ;  but  I 
guess  I'd  rather  see  a  haycock." 

Mr.  Sylvester  was  bred  in  Maine,  and  had 
long  been  an  express-carrier  in  Washington 
Territory,  and  slept  night  after  night  on  the 
snow  upon  evergreen  boughs,  and  endured 
countless  dangers  from  wild  beasts  and  wild 
men,  and  was  rather  tired  of  mountain  scenery. 
Parting  with  the  fur-trader,  he  presented  to  me- 
a  fine  specimen  of  red-fox  skin. 


ALASKA. 


217 


CHAPTER   XX. 


CLIMATE.  —  SOIL.  —  PRODUCTS    OF    ALASKA. 

TO   VICTORIA. 


BACK 


We  reached  Victoria,  on  our  return  voyage, 
the  4th  of  August.  Capt.  Carroll  courteously 
took  us  from  Nanaimo  in  the  steamer  "  Idaho," 
and  thus  facilitated  our  homeward  journey.  At 
Nanaimo  we  parted  with  the  steamer  "  Eureka," 
in  which  we  had  passed  so  many  interesting 
and  happy  days.  To  Capt.  Hunter,  from  whom 
we  received  every  possible  kindness  and  deli- 
cate attention,  we  are  deeply  indebted.  A  more 
watchful  and  careful  officer  never  commanded 
a  ship  in  the  dangerous  and  almost  unknown 
waters  of  Alaska.  I  gave  him  my  revolver  at 
parting,  and  hope  that  any  of  my  friends  who 
hereafter  visit  that  far-off  country  may  sail 
under  the  care  of  Capt.  Hunter. 

The  second  engineer  presented  me  with  a 
huge  walrus-tusk,  of  solid  ivory,  which  I  much 
value.  The  first  engineer  was  a  man  of  rare 
intelligence. 

In    a   country  so  vast    in  extent  as  Alaska, 


!^J 


2l8 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


\%\  i'. 


there  is  great  diversity  of  climate,  soil,  and 
temperature.  The  south  line  of  the  mainland 
is  54°  40'  north  latitude,  and  the  north  cape  of 
the  territory  runs  into  the  Polar  Sea,  71°  13', — 
beyond  the  farthest  land  of  Norway.  No  one 
has  need  to  cross  the  Atlantic  to  reach  a  land 
of  the  "  midnight  sun." 

The  climate  of  the  Aleutian  Islands  is  tem- 
pered by  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  the  Japan 
currents  modify  the  cold  in  many  parts  of 
Alaska.  At  Sitka  (lat.  57°  3')  the  mean  tem- 
perature is  44°  Fahrenheit.  The  climate  of 
Southern  Alaska  is  about  the  same  as  that 
of  Kentucky. 

The  Alaskan  range  contains  the  highest 
peaks  in  the  United  States,  —  Mount  St.  Elias 
19,500  feet,  Mount  Cook  16,000,  Mount  Cril- 
lon  15,900,  Mount  Fairweather  15,500.  These 
measurements  from  the  government  surveys 
are  supposed  to  be  thoroughly  reliable.  And 
the  Yul;.on  River  is  one  of  the  largest  in  the 
world. 

At  Fort  Wrangell,  Sitka,  and  many  other 
places,  we  saw  the  Kentucky  blue-grass,  red- 
top,  white  clover,  timothy,  and  other  grasses 
of  rankest  growth.  We  saw  currants,  cranber- 
ries, raspberries,  dewberries,  and  salmonberries 
in  large  abundance.  The  salmonberries  were 
like  the  blackberry  in  form  and  size,  but  of  a 


fe 


ALASKA. 


219 


t  salmon- color.  \Vc  purchased  a  quan- 
tl"""  :  \<  ..>  berries  from  the  squaws  for 
luuirl  *:hem  all  watery  and  destitute 
r,  a.iy  richness  of  llavor ;  and  even  after  we 
had  them  made  into  a  pie  at  the  steamer,  we 
coukl  not  eat  them  with  any  relish.  Potatoes 
grow  well  ;  but  in  South-eastern  Alaska  there 
is  but  little  arable  land,  and  such  a  thing  as  a 
plough  we  did  not  see,  and  no  evidence  that 
one  had  ever  been  there. 

We  passed  marble  mountains  much  larger 
than  those  of  Carrara. 

The  wealth  of  Alaska  is  chiefly  in  its  furs, 
timber,  mines,  and  lisheries,  which  latter  are  far 
bevond  any  thing  on  the  globe.  The  chain  of 
Pacific  islands,  which  run  almost  to  Asia,  are 
said  to   be   excellent    for  raising   cattle. 

The  valuable  timber  of  Alaska  is  inexhaust- 
ible. The  red  and  yellow  fir  abound ;  and  the 
Alaska  cedar,  of  a  bright  am!  ■  yellow,  capa- 
ble of  a  very  high  polish,  beautiful  to  the  eye 
and  exceedingly  fragrant,  is  one  of  the  most 
useful  of  woods. 

A  report  upon  "  Ship-building  on  the  Pacific 
Coast,"  made  to  the  Board  of  Marine  Under- 
writers of  San  Francisco  in  1867,  by  the  sur- 
veyor of  the  Board,  says,  — 

"  The  yellow  cedar  is  undoubtedly  the  most  valu- 
able of  all  our  trees  for  ship-building.     It  is  found  in 


.M 


220 


I'KOM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


j^reat  quantities  at  Coos  Bay,  thence  along  the  coast 
cf  Oregon  to  Port  Orford  ;  also  on  the  islands  and 
mainland  of  Alaska.  The  Indians  of  Alaska  have 
for  ages  used  its  trunk  for  their  canoes,  A  vessel 
built  of  it  at  Sitka  thirty  years  ago  was  recently 
examined,  five  years  after  she  was  wrecked,  by  the 
officers  of  the  revenue  steamer  'Lincoln.'  The 
timbers  appeared  as  sound  and  perfect  as  on  the  day 
she  was  launched.  This  cedar  is  \v  finer-grained, 
handsomer,  more  dense,  and  a  be  imber  in  all 

respects,  than  any  other  cedar  known.  It  grows  to 
a  height  of  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  feet,  with 
a  diameter  of  four  feet.  It  is  probably  the  finest 
material  for  docks  in  the  world.  At  Coos  Bay,  I\Tr. 
A.  M.  Simpson  informs  us,  there  are  inexhaustible 
quantities  of  this  cedar,  which  has  been  used  to  some 
extent  in  the  construction  of  the  bark  '  Melancthon.' 
After  fifteen  years'  use  in  the  frame  of  his  saw-mill, 
it  shows  no  signs  of  decay.  Mr.  Simpson  expresses 
the  confident  opinion,  that  heart  cedar,  cut  from  the 
lower  part  of  this  tree,  will  outlast  teak  in  any  part 
of  a  ship's  frame." 

When  a  government  shall  have  been  estab- 
lished over  Alaska,  under  which  civilized  men 
can  be  protected  in  their  rights,  the  resources 
will  rapidly  develop,  and  Alaska  will  become 
one  of  the  richest  jewels  in  the  crown  of  our 
empire,  and  bring  to  Mr.  Seward  all  the  renown 
which  he  anticipated,  and  cause  lasting  vexation 
to  our  people  that  James  Buchanan  did  not 
insist  upon  54°  40'  as  our  northern  boundary. 


:'i^a 


ALASKA. 


221 


Returning  from  Alaska,  we  stopped  again  at 
Victoria,  and  there  met  a  sea-captain  who  had 
formerly  commanded  a  vessel  sailing  between 
San  Francisco  and  China.  He  pointed  out  the 
superior  advantages  which  Great  Britain  will 
have  in  commerce  with  the  Orient  so  soon  as 
the  Canada  Pacific  Kdlway  reaches  Port  Moody 
on  the  Pacific  waters  which  separate  Vancou- 
ver's Island  from  the  mainland.     He  said, — 

"  The  route  for  steamers  from  San  Francisco  to 
Japan  and  China  is  up  the  Pacific  coast  as  far  as 
the  north  end  of  Vancouver's  Island,  and  thence 
westward,  in  order  to  avail  of  the  short  degrees  of 
longitude.  The  northing  thus  made  is  nearly  nine 
hundred  miles.  Vessels  coming  to  our  coast  from 
Asia  make  the  entrance  into  Puget  Sound  from 
three  to  seven  days  before  they  get  off  the  Gate  into 
San  Francisco  Bay." 

Maury,  whose  authority  will  not  be  ques- 
tioned, writes :  — 

"The  trade-winds  place  Vancouver's  Island  on 
the  wayside  of  the  road  from  China  and  Japan  to 
San  Francisco  so  completely  that  a  trading-vessel 
under  canvas  to  the  latter  place  would  take  the  same 
route  as  if  she  were  bound  for  Vancouver's  Island. 
So  that  all  return  cargoes  would  naturally  come 
there,  in  order  to  save  two  or  three  weeks,  besides 
risk  and  expense." 

The  temperature  of  this  island  is  nearly  that 


'ill 


'-I 


'1 


! 


1 1  i 


ll  I 

I  'I  i 


^'■^      jr^ 


ii 


'7^1 


FROM  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


of  Virginia ;  and  Victoria,  which  is  in  latitude 
48°  25^'  (Paris  being  in  latitude  48°  50'),  is 
quite  as  mild  as  the  city  of  New  York. 

A  few  years  ago  it  was  "proved"  that  Can- 
ada could  not  build  a  riiilroad  to  the  Pacif" ., 
just  as  Dr,  Lardner  "  demon'^trated  "  that  steam- 
ships could  never  navigate  the  ocean  with  suc- 
cess. But  the  day  is  near  when  the  Canada 
railway  will  bring  passengers  from  Quebec  to 
Port  Moody,  and  when  British  ships  will  take 
away  our  chiefest  trade  with  the  two  great 
empires  across  the  Pacific.  Then  will  the 
American  people  begin  to  realize  the  stupen- 
dous folly  of  the  Buchanan- Pakenham  treaty 
of  1846,  by  which  we  gave  away  an  empire, 
and  perilled  the  richest  commerce  of  the  world. 


i|JH^ijn|«iy»u«-!Ji».'*»l!--"»*|ff  f?.-ii.Ml'-"'W^nfS*i<i^^-i'^'"-^fr«^,ff;''*,/.rV;rV™,  ;'^  i-J^r^f^-.-Tr^-*; 


/7?0i1/   VICTORIA    TO  PORTLAND. 


223 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

BACK    TO    VICTORIA.  —  FROM    VICTORIA    TO     PORT- 
LAND.—THE   FOREST   FIRES. 

On  the  6th  of  August  we  left  Victoria,  on 
our  way  back  through  the  beautiful  waters  of 
Puget  Sound. 

In  the  evening  we  reached  Tacoma,  where 
at  the  hotel  we  saw  a  little  black-bear  cub,  lately 
caught,  only  five  months  old,  have  a  fight  with 
a  large  pointer ;  and,  contrary  to  my  expecta- 
tions, the  dog  turned  tail. 

The  next  day  we  reached  Pordand  at  5.30 
P.M.,  where  we  werr^  delighted  by  the  comfort- 
able house  and  hospitable  kindness  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Schultze.  Smoke  from  the  forest  fires 
still  overhangs  the  city. 


224 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


Jk 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


F;!t 


I 


'  t^  m  m-m 


FROM  PORTLAND  ALONG  THE  COLUMBIA  RIVER. 
—  THE  CASCADES.  — THE  DALLES.  — THE  CLIFFS.— 
THE  NORTHERN   PACIFIC   ROAD  TO  BOZEMAN. 

On  Thursday,  Aug.  9,  we  left  Portland  by 
the  Oregon  Railway  and  Navigation  Company 
line,  in  company  with  Mr.  Paul  Schultze,  for  the 
Yellowstone  Park  by  the  way  of  the  Northern 
Pacific  road. 

Wallula,  where  the  Oregon  Railway  and 
Navigation  Company's  road  joins  the  Northern 
Pacific,  is  three  hundred  and  fourteen  miles 
from  Portland.  The  road  runs  along  the  south- 
ern bank  of  the  great  Columbia  River,  through 
some  of  the  grandest  scenery  of  the  globe. 
The  mountains  look  like  towers,  fortresses, 
cathedrals,  made  by  giant  hands,  —  weird,  fan- 
tastic structures,  resembling  Dore's  baseless 
castles.  These  begin  about  forty-two  miles 
from  Portland. 

The  cascades  are  a  few  miles  farther  on  ;  and 
the  rapids,  called  the  Dalles,  are  some  forty 
miles  east  of  the  cascades.     Here  the  shores 


IS  I 


RIVER. 
IFFS.— 

IAN. 

,nd  by 
impany 
for  the 
Drthern 

ly  and 
orthern 
1  miles 
;  south- 
:hrough 
crlobe. 
•tresses, 
ird,  fan- 
baseless 
0    miles 

3n ;  and 
le  forty 
i  shores 


ALONG    THE   COLUMBIA   RIVER. 


225 


of  the  great  river  are  treeless  and  barren  ;  and 
the  banks  are  heaped  with  fine  sea-sand  like 
the  ocean,  and  present  a  very  singular  appear- 
ance. 

The  difference  between  high  and  low  water 
caused  by  the  freshets  at  the  Dalles  is  eighty 
feet.  Here  the  vast  river,  which  in  many  places 
near  its  mouth  is  more  than  five  miles  wide, 
rushes  through  a  gorge  only  one  hundred  and 
twenty  feet  in  width,  while  the  depth  is  enor- 
mous. 

We  pass  thf  salmon-wheels  and  Chinese 
camps  of  the  rond-workers.  At  the  Dalles, 
Indians  were  catching  salmon  by  dipping  them 
out  with  hand-nets. 

Now  we  are  passing  through  miles  of  scoriae, 
a  black  volcanic  composition,  and  not  a  single 
tree  in  sight. 

The  encrineer  told  me  that  the  hewn  ties 
lasted  much  longer  than  the  sawn  on-  s,  as  the 
jarring  of  the  wood  fibres  of  the  he-  .1  was  less. 

Along  the  Snake  River  were  fine  lands. 
Went  through  Flathead  reservations. 

Passing  through  Idaho  and  Montana,  we  met 
forest  fires  on  all  sides.  Crossed  over  the 
highest  trestle-bridge  in  America,  two  hundred 
and  twenty-six  feet,  and  I  believe  the  highest 
in  the  world  next  to  the  noted  Freibourg  bridge. 

All  along  the  road  we  found  a  company  of 


WTfW 


226 


FA'OM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


United  States  troops  encamped,  who  had  been 
called  in  to  quell  a  slight  rising  of  the  Indians, 
who  had  robbed  a  man. 

Seeing  a  new  grave  with  a  crutch  planted 
over  it  in  place  of  a  tombstone,  inquired  the 
cause,  and  found  that  a  lame  man  who  had  re- 
peatedly robbed  the  Wells  Fargo  coach  was 
finally  captured  and  lynched ;  and  this  Vv^as 
placed  over  to  mark  the  spot  where  Lame  Joe 
met  his  death. 

At  Ainsworth,  fourteen  miles  above  Wallula, 
the  great  Snake  River  enters  the  Columbia. 
There  the  railroad  leaves  the  river,  and  runs 
north-east  to  the  Spokane  Falls,  which  are  374 
miles  from  Portland  ;  thence  to  Clark's  Fork  of 
the  Columbia,  471  miles  from  Portland,  to  Lake 
Fend  I'Oreille ;  thence  along  Clark's  Fork 
south-east  to  Missoula,  from  Portland  633 
miles,  which  we  reached  Aug.  10,  in  the  after- 
noon, where  we  remained  all  night  in  the  cars. 

We  went  to  the  hotel  for  supper,  and  there 
took  breakfast  the  next  morning. 

We  found  at  the  hotel  a  peculiar  style  of 
conversation,  as  we  waited  for  supper  on  the 
piazza  of  the  house.  A  good  many  were 
standing  around,  waiting  for  the  meal,  who 
seemed  to  be  residents.  One  comes  up  to 
another,  and  says,  — 

'*  What  do  you  know  ?  " 


ALONG    THE   ClLUMBIA   RIVER. 


227 


The  one  addressed  replies,  "  Know  that  you 
are  a  damned  fool,"  which  is  taken  in  good- 
nature. 

After  supper  one  comes  out  of  the  dining- 
room,  picking  his  teeth  with  his  fingers,  and 
another  says  to  him,  — 

"  Been  filling  up,  hain't  you  ?     What  did  you 

git  ?     _ 

"  Fried  grubs,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Any  rotten  eggs  ? "  says  the  other. 

"  Yes,  and  a  dead  chicken,"  was  the  retort. 

*'  Wouldn't  eat  a  live  one,  would  you  ?  "  was 
the  rejoinder. 

The  road  being  unfinished,  at  this  point  we 
took  carriages,  and  began  our  sixty-five-mile 
drive  over  the  rolling  country  of  Montana.  At 
Hawk's  Ranch  we  changed  horses,  and  contin- 
ued our  journey  to  Kean's. 

Our  driver  was  totally  ignorant  of  the  way ; 
which,  added  to  the  startling  news  that  a  stage- 
robbery  Had  occurred  on  this  same  road  but  a 
week  before,  quite  kept  us  alive  to  the  beauty 
and  novelty  of  the  situation.  Mr.  Schultze's 
endeavor  to  make  the  drive  of  ninety-five  miles 
in  a  day  and  a  half  instead  of  two  days  and  a 
half,  '  y  making  a  short  cut,  placed  the  driver 
in  the  predicament  of  handling  four  horses 
over  ground  with  which  he  was  totally  unfamil- 
iar.    Wading  rivers,  ploughing  our  way  through 


228 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


I  'i': 


bogs,  crossing  the  unfinished  track  many  times, 
compelled  us,  in  order  to  avoid  an  upset,  to 
attach  a  rope  to  the  top  of  the  coach,  and 
required  all  to  hold  on  while  going  down  a 
bad  grade ;  I  generally  also  standing  on  the 
brake.  The  brake  finally  broke,  and  it  had 
to  be  mended  with  ropes.  At  last  we  saw 
through  the  darkness  some  twinkling  lights, 
which  proved  to  be  from  the  camp-fires  of  the 
track-workers,  one  .of  whom  kindly  guided  us 
until  we  reached  Kean's,  an  eating-house  where 
the  stages  going  the  regular  route  usually  halt 
for  lunch.  The  little  tavern  was  full ;  and  we 
slept  on  the  floor,  there  being  but  one  bed, 
and  that  was  given  to  my  father. 

In  the  early  morning  the  landlord  came  into 
the  room,  and  asked  us  for  "  bitters,"  which 
meant  whiskey.  Mr.  Moore,  a  fellow-traveller, 
had  a  flask,  and  supplied  the  pressing  wants  of 
our  host. 

At  eight  A.M.  we  started  to  go  across  the 
"  Rockies,"  a  distance  of  some  thirty  miles,  to 
Helena,  the  capital  of  Montana.  Fearful  roads, 
rocks,  jolts,  bogs,  ruts,  upheavals,  and  crashes 
of  every  thing ;  to  say  nothing  of  one  hill,  the 
descent  of  which  was  actually  so  steep  that  we 
all  had  to  get  off  in  order  to  lessen  the  mo- 
mentum. We  saw  on  this  day's  drive  no  game, 
and  but  few  birds.  Soil  seemed  poorer  east  of 
the  Rockies  than  west. 


1 


HBMW"«M  .'"MM, 


ALONG    THE  COLUMBIA   RIVER. 


229 


the 
had 


On  the  morning  of  the  7th  the  mine  was 
sprung  which  broke  apart  the  remaining  parti- 
tion of  earth  and  clay  and  rock,  one  hundred 
and  twelve  feet  thick,  in  the  famed  Mullen 
Tunnel.  The  Atlantic  and  Pacific  met,  and  the 
workers  from  the  East  hailed  their  Western 
friends.  This  reminded  me  of  the  St.  Gothnrd 
tunnel,  which  so  closely  binds  France,  Switzer- 
land, and  Italy,  making  a  direct  communication. 

We  reached  Helena  on  Sunday,  the  12th  of 
August,  at  mid-day,  and  learned  that  the  mail- 
coach  had  been  stopped  by  robbers  (or  by  road- 
agents,  as  the  phrase  is),  and  the  mail  and 
every  passenger  robbed. 

Helena  is  a  great  mining-town.  To-day  be- 
ing Sunday,  all  things  are  in  uproar.  Every 
other  house  on  the  main  street  is  a  gambling- 
house,  saloon,  or  house  of  ill-fame.  All  places 
are  open,  and  faro  is  at  its  height.  In  one  den 
I  saw  a  very  exciting  game  of  poker,  the  "  pile  " 
in  the  centre  of  the  table  sometimes  amounting 
to  a  thousand  dollars.  The  saloons  in  full  sway 
were  rendered  attractive  and  alluring  in  every 
conceivable  manner ;  resembling  in  this  respect, 
though  from  a  much  lower  standpoint,  Hom- 
burg,  Baden-Baden,  and  Weisbaden,  in  the  by- 
gone days  of  the  Golden  Coursal  or  the  present 
Monte  Carlo. 

Returning   up   the   main    street   later   on,   I 


[!ffiir 


Mi 

.1   '^ 


li 


lii 


^>.ii. 


230 


/A'fJ/  I'lF'm  AVENUE    TO   ALASKA. 


witnessed  a  pretty  good  stand-up  fight  over 
some  cards. 

I  saw  rather  a  curious  way  of  covering  the 
sale  of  whiskey  under  the  garb  of  religion. 
Observing  a  saloon  from  which  numerous 
miners  were  issuing,  more  or  less  in  a  state  of 
inebriation,  I  entered,  and  found  a  large  organ 
placed  in  one  corner,  and  the  miners  fast  get- 
ting drunk  to  the  strains  of  "  Onward,  Christian 
soldiers." 

We  met  Col.  Saunders,  leader  of  the  old 
Montana  Vigilants,  who  took  us  to  the  First 
National  Bank,  where  we  saw  some  large  nug- 
gets of  native  gold,  one  assayed  and  stamped 
$420,  another  $250,  also  one  at  $325  ;  the  last 
one  shown  weighing  47.70  ounces,  being  val- 
ued at  $945. 


BOZEMAAT. 


231 


over 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


BOZEMAN. 


Au£^.  13.  —  Started  by  rail,  at  five  a.m.,  for 
Bozeman.  Met  Mr.  Eldridge  on  the  train, 
•engineer  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  for 
the  Rocky-Mountain  District.  He  was  most 
kind  in  his  attentions,  and  his  care  in  helping 
us  to  arrange  our  outfit  will  always  be  remem- 
bered. 

Through  a  letter  of  Gen.  Sherman  to  Major 
Gordon  at  Fort  Ellis,  we  were  provided  with  an 
ambulance  and  four  mules,  and  an  "A"  tent, 
which,  added  to  a  light  Studebaker  escort- 
wagon  for  provisions,  three  ponies,  and  the 
other  necessaries  for  a  camping-tour,  completed 
our  outfit.  A  driver  from  the  fort  for  the 
ambulance,  a  S'^rgeant,  my  own  man  Murray  for 
the  escort- wagon,  and  Wyatt,  an  old  hunter, 
who  afterwards  joined  me  with  his  three  ponies, 
made  up  the  party. 

On  the  way  to  Fort  Ellis,  we  drove  through 
thousands  of  gopher-holes.  These  litde  ani- 
mals, resembling   rats  with   the   addition  of  a 


-^3- 


IIWM  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


i          Hi 

M 

ii    :■  |l 
1 

1    !|  1 

:j| 

1 

bushy  tail,  sat  on  the  edge  of  their  subterranean 
passages,  very  much  Hke  the  prairie-dog ;  their 
movements  when  startled  being  marvellously 
quick.  In  Florida  the  gopher  is  a  kind  of  land- 
turtle,  the  holes  caused  by  them  being  much 
more  dangerous  for  horses. 

Ladies'  society  was  quite  limited  at  the  fort ; 
and  yet  those  we  found,  like  true  Americans, 
made  the  best  of  every  thing,  and  even  at- 
tempted to  speak  cheerfully  of  the  long,  cold, 
dreary  winters,  which  must  be  very  tedious. 

The  ladies,  officers,  Mr.  Eldridge,  and  my 
father  all  went  to  hear  Henry  Ward  Beecher 
lecture  in  the  evening.  His  subject  was  "The 
Reign  of  the  Common  People."  Men  in  every 
kind  of  dress,  and  women  with  crying  babies 
in  their  arms,  crowded  to  hear  him ;  and  all 
were  eager  listeners  except  the  babies,  who 
were  eager  squallers.  When  Mr.  Beecher  at- 
tacked with  sarcastic  ridicule  the  old  theology, 
he  was  loudly  applauded.  The  stillness  of  the 
crowded  room  was  frequently  interrupted  by 
great  outbursts  of  yelling,  proceeding  from  one 
or  more  animate  objects  held  in  the  arms,  called 
babies.  The  nightly  revelry  of  cats  was  slight 
compared  with  the  vociferous  powers  of  these 
funny  embryo  specimens  of  humanity.  Finally, 
as  a  mother  rose  to  go  out  with  her  infant,  Mr. 
Beecher  paused,  and,  as  the   precious   charge 


BOZEMAN, 


233 


was  rapidly  disappearing,  remarked,  "There 
lies  die  basis  for  a  future  public  speaker." 

Aug.  15.  —  Provisions,  buffalo-robes,  guns, 
fishing-rods,  cooking-utensils,  blankets,  all  be- 
ing packed,  we  bade  good-by  to  Mr.  Eldridge, 
exchanged  farewells  with  our  kind  friends  at 
Fort  Ellis,  and  started. 

My  little  sorrel  pony  went  grandly.  I  had 
put  a  double  Mexican  cinclie  on  him,  snaffle- 
bit,  and  single  saddle-blanket,  and  began  to  feel 
that  I  had  made  a  good  purchase.  He  was  a 
three-quarters-bred  Oregon  horso  and,  though 
not  quite  broken,  I  felt  his  speed  and  endurance 
were  good ;  a  look  at  his  deep  chest,  small  ears, 
slim,  tapering  limbs,  and  muscular  shoulders, 
showing  good  running-blood.  He  was  the  only 
Western  pony,  among  the  dozens  that  I  have 
ridden,  which  came  up  to  my  boyhood  ideal 
"  wild  mustang ;  "  for,  as  a  rule,  for  ugliness  in 
shape,  size,  color,  and  temper,  give  me  the 
broncho,  though  for  roping  cattle,  endurance, 
and  ability  to  stand  exposure,  they  are  un- 
equalled. 

To-day  we  travelled  twenty-one  miles,  and 
pitched  camp  at  Trail  Creek  in  the  pleasant 
society  of  Dr.  Bushnell,  his  wife  and  baby,. 
Mrs.  Bushnell's  sister,  and  Miss  Bingham,  all 
from  Fort  Ellis. 

Let  me  devote  a  line  to  the  baby.     I  am  not 


■fc 

1 

1*.  ■» 

, 

'!■ 

i| 

;  *■■: 

is 

1 

;'i-j 

'' !' 

234 


FROM  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASK'A. 


generally  favorably  disposed  toward  babies  ;  but 
to  my  certain  knowledge,  during  the  fourteen 
days  that  we  camped  out  in  the  party,  I  :\n  at 
present  remember  no  instance  of  that  child 
yelling,  —  a  feat  which  I  can  safely  dismiss  with 
the  refrain  "  Extraordinary  !  "  Whether  this  re- 
markable phenomenon  arose  from  knowing 
when  the  exact  moment  had  arrived  for  placing 
the  rubber  tube  connecting  with  the  well-kiiown 
bottle  between  its  lips,  I  am  unable  to  ju  ige; 
but,  be  it  as  it  may,  that  baby  never  bawled 
once,  I  Ithough  this  was  its  first  experience  in 
"  rouehinsf  it." 

I  unfortunately  found  to-day  that  my  sorrel 
understood  the  art  called  "  bucking."  I  had 
been  warned,  before  starting,  concerning  this 
peculiarity,  but  never  dreamed  of  its  actually 
ever  taking  place.  To  those  accustomed  to 
their  park  nags  or  beatifully  trained  hunters, 
the  "  buck"  is  naturally  unknown,  as  it  is  a  vice 
peculiar  to  the  western  broncho  or  cayuse.  If 
any  of  my  readers  can  imagine  the  sensation 
of  suddenly  (when  his  thoughts  are  far  away) 
feeling  his  horse  curl  its  head  and  tail  under  its 
legs,  bow  its  back,  shoot  up  in  the  air  like  a 
catapult,  and  come  down  stiff-legged,  let  him 
condole  with  me.  I  had  had  it  tried  on  me 
to  some  slight  extent  in  California,  but  never 
in  the  "thoroughbred"  manner.     It  is  all  well 


V 


-^luyiiu  lip.J_Jl».»«_|l,.,l 


■■^^ 


BOZEMAN. 


235 


enough  for  the  Mexican  "  huckquero  riders," 
the  professional  Western  horse-breakers,  to  say, 
"Throw  your  feet  forward,  sit  way  back,  and 
give  yourself  up  to  the  recoil,"  I  tried :  the 
pony  saved  me  all  trouble  in  the  way  of  giving 
up  to  the  recoil,  for  at  the  fourth  buck  no 
dynamite  ever  sent  up  a  corporeal  body  more 
swiftly  than  mine  went  from  that  saddle.  Some- 
what dazed,  I  recaught  the  brute,  got  on,  and 
for  the  rest  of  the  day  got  off  without  his 
agency. 

Catching  a  few  fish  while  the  men  built  a 
fire,  pitched  a  tent,  ground  the  coffee,  and 
baked  the  bread,  we  soon  gathered  round  for 
supper ;  and,  after  writing  as  long  as  the  dying 
light  would  permit,  we  all  turned  in,  and  our 
first  night's  camp-life  began  in  earnest. 

My  three  ponies  broke  their  picket-ropes 
this  morning,  and  were  found  by  the  driver, 
who  gave  chase  on  mule-back  three  miles  to 
the  northward. 

The  nights  grew  cold  very  soon  after  sun- 
down, quite  an  extreme  after  the  fierce  heat  of 
Monday.  We  made  a  thirty- five-mile  drive 
to-day,  and  before  sundown  enjoyed  some  fair 
trout-fishing  in  the  Yellowstone  River. 

I  was  twice  bucked  off  this  afternoon  ;  the 
last  time  coming  very  near  being  killed,  hurled 
as  I  was  clear  over  the  pony's  head,  and  landing 


'■i'T 


2^6 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA, 


a  few  inches  from  a  huge  bowlder.  I  found,  on 
remounting,  that  the  last  jolt  had  quite  disabled 
me,  my  hip  and  left  shoulder  being  very  lame  ; 
so  that  after  riding  a  little  farther  I  was  obliged 
to  get  into  the  ambulance.  The  next  day  I 
tried  him  once  more  :  but,  as  he  cuuld  not  stand 
a  gun  on  his  back,  we  U3ed  him  as  a  pack-horse 
for  the  rest  of  the  trip ;  and,  during  my  hunt 
in  the  Hoodoo  Mountains,  I  rode  two  well- 
broken  old  cayuses,  which  would  stand  any  thing, 
from  the  firing  of  a  gun  to  an  avalanche. 

We  saw  a  large  number  of  hawks  near  the 
encampment,  and  at  night  the  full  moon 
brought  out  clearly  several  owls  seeking  for 
prey. 


f' 


I '  1  '  '  1 


lund,  on 
disabled 
■y  lame ; 
obliged 
:t   day  I 
at  stand 
ck- horse 
my  hunt 
wo  well- 
ay  thing, 
le. 

near  the 
11  moon 
iking  for 


NO.   4. 


ZjMI 


i 


INDIAN  RE  SER-VAa^lOW 


■I"  f^.t  '-  -t-^',  "fl;">li . , ' 


1  i 


YELLOWSTONE  PARK. 


217 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


YELLOWSTONE   PARK. 


Aug.  17.  —  Hard  day's  drive,  steep  hills. 
Arrived  at  Mammoth  Hot  Springs  Hotel,  which 
was  still  in  a  very  unfinished  state.  Eatables 
of  the  house  were  nearly  all  consumed,  not 
enough  allowance  having  been  made  for  the 
large  concourse  of  transient  visitors.  Senators 
Cameron.  Logan,  and  Dawes  were  there,  hav- 
ing just  returned  from  a  flying  trip  through  the 
park. 

We  were  prevailed  upon  to  sleep  at  the  hotel 
instead  of  our  tent,  and  were  given  a  large 
room  called  the  Tower  Chamber,  finding  a  bed 
quite  a  luxury  after  the  hard  ground.  This 
hotel,  which  we  reached  in  the  afternoon  of  the 
17th,  is  at  the  north  end  of  the  Yellowstone 
Park. 

We  camped  out  in  the  government  enclo- 
sure, near  the  hotel,  intending  to  start  the  next 
morning  for  the  tour  of  the  park. 

We  had  ten  horses  in  camp,  but  the  next 
morning  my  fine  saddle-horse  was  gone.     We 


>s « 


r  tjniw 


238 


Fy?OAf  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO   ALASKA. 


•  I 


supposed  that  he  had  been  stolen.  Search  was 
made  by  three  of  our  men  in  every  direction, 
but  without  success.  Towards  evening  I  was 
told  by  Mr.  Hobart  of  the  hotel  that  he  thought 
we  had  been  "  cashed  ;  "  that  meant,  as  he  told 
us,  that  the  horse  had  been  secreted  for  the 
purpose  of  theft  or  reward.  A  German  at  the 
hotel  told  my  father  that  he  thought  the  horse 
could  be  found.  My  father  replied,  "  Bring 
me  the  horse  before  dark,  and  I  will  give  you 
ten  dollars."  The  man  mounted  a  mustang, 
and  in  thirty  minutes  the  horse  was  delivered. 
We  had  no  more  trouble  about  our  horses; 
but  towards  the  end  of  the  season  horse-thieves 
made  a  raid  upon  the  park,  and  several  tourists 
had  their  horses  stolen  when  far  away  from  any 
assistance,  and  suffered  much  in  consequence. 
These  difficulties  will  cease,  under  the  good 
management  of  the  Park  Improvement  Com- 
pany, by  another  season. 


THE   YELLOWSTONE    PARK. 

This  land  of  natural  wonders  lies » in  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  at  the  north-west  corner  of 
Wyoming,  embracing  a  narrow  strip  of  Idaho 
and  Montana  on  the  west,  and  a  small  portion 
from  the  territory  of  Montana  on  the  ngrth. 
Its  boundaries  are  rectangular,  and  by  the  Act 
of  Congress  passed  in  1872  are  thus  defined  :  — 


YELLOWS  TO  JVE   PARK. 


239 


i.:; 


"  Commencing  at  the  junction  of  Gardiner  River 
with  the  Yellowstone  River,  and  running  east  to 
the  meridian  passing  ten  miles  to  the  eastward  of 
the  most  eastern  point  of  Yellowstone  Lake  ;  thence 
south  along  the  said  meridian  to  the  parallel  of  lati- 
tude passing  ten  miles  south  of  the  most  southern 
point  of  Yellowstone  Lake ;  thence  west  along  said 
parallel  to  the  meridian  passing  fifteen  miles  west  of 
the  most  western  point  of  Madison  Lake ;  thence 
north  along  said  meridian  to  the  latitude  of  the  junc- 
tion of  the  Yellowstone  and  Gardiner  Rivers ;  thence 
east  to  the  place  of  beginning." 

Since  no  accurate  survey  has  )'et  been  made, 
neither  the  exact  size,  nor  the  latitude  or 
longitude,  is  known.  It  is  supposed  to  be  at 
least  sixty- five  miles  from  north  to  south,  and 
fifty-five  miles  from  east  to  west ;  but  the  super- 
intendent told  us  that  he  was  quite  sure  that 
this  was  an  under-estimate.  The  south  line  is 
believed  to  be  about  44°  north  latitude,  and  the 
east  line  about  1 10°  west  longfitude.  New- York 
City  is  40°  42'  north  latitude,  and  74°  west 
longitude. 

It  is  worthy  of  note,  that  the  Yellowstone 
Lake  itself  is  at  an  elevation  o^  7.780  feet,  and 
that  the  park  contains  two  mountains  each 
near  eleven  thousand  feet,  and  three  more  are 
each  about  ten  thousand  feet,  besides  twenty- 
five  others  which  are  quite  high.  Many  of 
these    mountains    bear    personal   names :    thus 


If 


% 
■gill 


w  mm 


240 


FJiOM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


Mount  Washburn  was  named  after  Gen.  Wash- 
burn ;  Dunraven,  after  Lord  Dunraven ;  Mount 
Everts,  after  Mr.  Everts,  a  member  of  a  party 
under  the  leadership  of  Gen.  Washburn  in 
1870,  formed  to  explore  the  Yellowstone  River. 
While  near  the  head  of  the  lake,  Mr.  Everts  be- 
came lost ;  and,  suffering  untold  hardships  from 
hunger  and  cold  he  became  insane,  and  was 
found  wandering  near  the  Mammoth  Springs. 

So  early  as  the  expedition  of  Lewis  and 
Clark  across  the  continent  in  1803  or  1804,  a 
trapper  named  Colter,  who  accompanied  that 
celebrated  exploration,  having  left  the  company, 
was  captured  by  Blackfeet  Indians,  from  whom 
he  escaped.  In  his  wanderings  he  saw  the 
boiling  springs  and  some  of  the  geysers ;  and 
as  early  as  18 10  he  was  in  Missouri,  relating 
marvellous  tales  of  lakes  burning  with  brim- 
stone, of  pits  of  fire,  and  spouting  hot  water. 
His  stories  were  treated  as  the  inventions  of  a 
brain  driven  to  lunacy  by  suffering ;  but  a  party 
under  Capt.  Lacy  visited  the  Lower  Geyser 
Ba.in  in  1863,  and  gave  the  first  credited  infor- 
mation of  its  marvels.  In  1871  Professor  Hay- 
den  made  an  extended  tour  through  this  region, 
and  in  1872  presented  a  proposition  to  Con- 
gress to  reserve  a  section  of  the  territory  as  a 
national  park. 


YELLOWSTONE  PARK. 


241 


DISTANCES. 

I  found  It  difficult  to  obtain  trustworthy  in- 
formation as  to  distances  in  the  park.  Be- 
tween the  same  points,  one  driver,  familiar  with 
the  road,  would  give  the  distance  as  thirty 
miles,  while  another  equally  well  acquainted 
would  call  the  distance  forty-five  miles ;  and 
not  infrequently,  the  nearer  we  drew  towards 
our  point  of  destination,  the  greater  the  dis- 
tance would  be,  according  to  the  information 
given  by  those  we  met.  I  attribute  this  partly 
to  the  execrable  condition  of  the  roads.  I  give 
the  distances  from  the  most  reliable  sources 
within  my  reach  :  they  will  be  found  proxim.ately 
correct. 

The  great  Northern  Pacific  road  runs  parallel 
with  the  north  line  of  the  park,  fifty-eight 
miles  distant.  A  branch  of  that  road  runs  from 
Livingston,  fifty-six  miles,  to  within  two  miles 
of  the  park ;  whence  stages  carry  passengers 
six  miles  to  the  National  Mammoth  Springs 
Hotel,  which  is  four  miles  south  of  the  north 
line  of  the  park. 

From  Livingston  the  road  runs  south  along 
the  valley  of  the  Yellowstone,  through  mountain 
s:enery,  and  canons  of  the  river,  magnificent 
and  wild. 

At  the   north   line  of  the   park,  where   the 


ill 


242 


FA'OA/  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


Gardiner  River  enters  the  Yellowstone,  the 
course  of  the  Gardiner  is  from  south  to  north. 
The  Yellowstone,  rising  in  the  Yellowstone 
Lake  near  the  south  side  of  the  park,  runs 
with  many  windings  northerly  until  near  Liv- 
ingston, when  it  turns  east.  Through  its  valley 
the  Northern  Pacific  is  for  many  miles  built. 

Entering  the  park  from  the  north,  the  first 
thing  which  surprises  the  visitor  on  reaching 
the  National  Hotel  is  the  great  terrace  of 

THE   MAMMOTH    HOT   SPRINGS. 

The  terrace  rises  a  thousand  feet  above  the 
Gardiner  River,  which  runs  near,  and  two  hun- 
dred feet  above  the  plateau  of  the  valley  in 
which  it  is  built  by  the  ceaseless  flow  of  the 
hot  sp  ngs,  which  leave  a  calcareous  deposit. 
This  deposit  covers  an  area  of  three  square 
miles,  and  the  recent  deposits  on  which  the  hot 
springs  are  now  boiling  occupy  about  a  hun- 
dred and  seventy  acres.  Terrace  after  terrace, 
mostly  white  as  chalk,  composed  chiefly  of  lime, 
soda,  silica,  and  magnesia,  rise  from  the  level 
upon  which  the  great  hotel  stands,  to  the  height 
of  two  hundred  feet. 

Considering  the  superb  mountain  views  seen 
from  this  place,  taken  in  connection  with  the 
strange  appearances  of  the  cones  and  terra •:es 
constructed  by  the  flow  of  the  smoking  springs, 


YELLOWS! ONE   PARK. 


243 


there  is  no  one  place  in  the  park  more  interest- 
ing and  wonderful  than  the  Mammoth  Springs. 
They  are  seldom  seen  as  they  ought  to  be. 
When  people  arrive  here,  they  are  tired ;  and 
when  they  return  from  the  tour  of  the  park, 
they  are  more  tired.  The  great  boiling  springs 
on  the  terraces*  can  be  seen  only  through  a 
somewhat  difficult  walk,  as  no  horse  can  pass 
over  them.  Their  vastness  and  variety  cannot 
be  appreciated  at  all  without  walking  over  and 
around  them. 

The  wonderful  formations  are  in  strange  ar- 
tistic shapes,  made  by  magnesia,  soda,  lime,  sul- 
phur, and  probably  silica,  held  in  solution  by 
the  hot  water,  which,  flowing  over,  slowly  hard- 
ens much  as  water  congeals  when  passing  over 
a  surface  in  an  atmosphere  below  the  freezing 
point.  Indeed,  no  one  can  walk  around  any 
of  the  geysers  or  hot  springs  in  the  park  with- 
out being  reminded  of  ice-formations  which  he 
has  seen  at  waterfalls  in  winter. 

The  bewildering  views  from  the  hills,  the 
vjanons  of  the  Gardiner  River,  —  appearing  to 
be  only  a  few  rods  from  the  hotel,  but  when 
reached  are  found  to  be  nearly  two  miles  away, 
and  the  return  seems  more  than  two  miles ;  the 
boiling  springs  by  the  river-side  in  which  the 
fishermen  boil  trout  on  the  hook,  which  they 
have  caught  in  the  cold  stream  within   reach  : 


I 


aw 


244 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO   ALASKA. 


ii  i 


ill. 


the  deep  caves  on  the  hotel  plateau,  left  en- 
tirely open  (about  which  I  heard  an  Irishman, 
last  Sunday,  mournfully  say  to  his  companion, 
"  What  a  shame  that  these  holes  are  not  cov- 
ered up !  A  man  cannot  get  tight  without 
falling  in,  and  that  would  be  the  last  of  him  ;  " 
and  he  rer^  d  indignantly  away),  —  thest;  all 
combined  gave  this  section  of  the  park  many 
varied  attractions. 

To  make  a  tour  of  the  park  as  it  should  be 
made,  and  return  to  the  hotel  at  the  Hot 
Springs,  requires  a  journey  of  two  hundred 
miles,  over  the  roughest,  hilliest,  steepest,  stoni- 
est, stumpiest,  joltiest,  dustiest  roads  that 
wheels  drawn  by  horses  ever  passed ;  many 
parts  of  the  roads  being  built  of  round  logs, 
which  give  variety  to  the  violence  of  jolting. 

Except  for  the  Grand  Hotel  at  the  Hot 
Spri."igc,  there  are  no  hotels  in  the  park,  unless 
the  small  building  near  the  Firehole  River, 
called  "  Marshall's,"  can  be  called  a  hotel. 
There  are  tents  stationed  in  various  places 
where  tourists  are  supposed  to  be  able  to  sleep 
(but  they  tell  me  that  they  can't). 

Three  persons,  making  a  tour  of  the  park, 
need  a  covered  wagon  with  driver  and  four 
mules,  an  escort-wagon  with  driver  and  two 
horses,  an  extra  horse  and  saddle,  and  a  third 
man  to  cook,  and  aid  in  pitching  and  striking 


m 


YELLOWSTONE  PARK. 


245 


the  tents.  As  all  the  bedding,  food,  and  cook- 
ing-utensils must  be  carried  along,  the  loads 
are  heavy ;  and  the  roads  are  such  that  you 
cannot  drive  many  miles  in  a  day,  and  ten  days 
are  needed  for  the  trip.  Of  course  this  is  ex- 
pensive ;  but  it  is  the  only  way,  at  present,  to 
see  the  park  with  any  satisfaction.  To  see  it 
with  any  degree  of  comfort,  in  the  present  state 
of  the  roads,  is  impossible,  unless  you  ride  on 
horseback  in  a  hot  sun,  an  I  have  an  escort  of 
many  pack-mules ;  but  it  is  worth  seeing  at 
almost  any  cost  or  discomfort. 

I  made  the  tour  on  horseback,  and  rather 
enjoyed  it.  But  my  father  and  companions 
were  in  a  government-wagon  ;  and  the  com- 
plaints of  each  and  all  who  were  driven  in  any 
kind  of  vehicle  were  universal.  The  excessive 
alkaline  dust,  so  irritating  to  the  eyes  and 
throat,  and  parching  to  the  lips  and  face,  was 
exceedingly  uncomfortable  ;  and  tenting  out  is, 
at  best,  a  nuisance.  The  sun  was  intensely 
hot,  and  the  atmosphere  as  arid  as  an  African 
•desert.  So  soon  as  the  sun  sets,  it  grows  cool ; 
and  nearly  every  night  the  water  in  the  buckets 
at  the  door  of  our  tents  was  frozen  from  an 
eighth  to  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  thickness. 

Next  year,  I  dare  say,  there  will  be  large  im- 
provements. Mr.  Rufus  Hatch  of  New  York, 
president  of  the  Park  Improvement  Company, 


f,'l 


\     r 


111 


Ij 

1 

tli 

'I 

'  Alii 

\    -.1 

■1 

( 

■  ■  "i 

{ 

1 

t 
Ji 

I 

■ 

246 


FA'OJIf  FIFTH  AVENUE   TO  ALASKA. 


has  excellent  plans,  which  he  will  be  likely  to 
carry  out,  and  which  if  carried  out  will  make  a 
visit  to  the  park  more  easy  and  agreeabfe. 
Mr.  Hatch  has  been  at  the  park  this  season,  in 
charge  of  a  party  of  some  eighty  persons  of 
different  sexes,  ages,  nations,  and  tongues ;  and 
his  consummate  tact  and  quiet  diplomacy  have 
kept  them  all  in  apparent  good-humor.  We 
are  greatly  indebted  to  Mr.  Hatch  for  many 
valuable  courtesies. 

This  reservation  is  called  a  "  park,"  which 
conveys  the  idea  of  a  pleasure-ground,  and  no 
railroad  is  permitted  within  it ;  but  it  is  a  wild 
region  of  lofty  mountains,  dense  forests,  large 
lakes  and  rivers,  with  falls  both  grand  and  beau- 
tiful, besides  caiions  of  vast  depth,  innumer- 
able geysers,  and  boiling  pools  of  wondrous 
size  and  startling  power,  and  these  spread  over 
an  area  larger  than  that  of  the  States  of  Rhode 
Island  and  Delaware  combined.  It  is  safe  to 
say,  that,  of  the  thousands  who  have  visited 
this  amazing  region,  not  one  can  be  found  who 
will  not  say  that  a  railroad  in  the  park  is  a 
necessity,  and  that,  the  sooner  it  is  permitted, 
the  sooner  will  the  object  be  attained  for  which 
the  government  set  apart  this  domain.  It  is 
impossible  to  construct  a  comfortable  carriage- 
road  through  the  park,  upon  any  appropriations 
which  the  government  will  make.     The  uneven- 


YELLOWSTONE  PARK. 


247 


ness  of  the  country,  and  the  thick  pine  and 
spruce  forests,  render  the  construction  of  roads 
very  expensive ;  and  the  pecuharity  of  the  soil 
and  chmatc  forbid  the  construction  of  any  ex- 
cellent carriage-road  at  any  reasonable  cost. 

The  soil  is  generally  a  fine  calcareous  alka- 
line powder,  of  geyser  formation,  light  as  cal- 
cined magnesia.  During  July,  August,  and 
September,  it  scarcely  rains  ;  and  the  dust  of 
the  roads,  travelled  by  horses'  feet  and  many 
wheels,  rises  during  the  heated  day  in  clouds 
from  which  there  is  no  escape,  and  from  which 
the  eyes,  ears,  nose  and  lips,  throat  and  lungs, 
must  needs  suffer.  It  is  no  exaggeration  to  say, 
that  often,  when  we  were  all  compelled  to  get 
out  on  account  of  being  obliged  to  lift  the  car- 
riage aside  so  that  those  meeting  us  could  pass, 
the  dust  was  literally  ankle-deep. 

Many  accidents  occur,  and  many  horses  break 
down  ;  some  stray  at  night,  and  others  were 
supposed  to  be  stolen.  The  inconvenience 
and  dangers  arising  from  bad  roads  and  slow 
transit  are  large  indeed  ;  and  we  do  not  think 
that  these  will  ever  be  remedied  until  a  railroad 
is  made  to  the  principal  points,  from  which  at 
moderate  distances  roads  and  bridle-paths  could 
lead. 

If  railroad  transit  and  hotel  accommodations 
■at  different  points  are  not  introduced,  much  of 


* ,  1!  t 


I 


M 


Y^;\ 


248 


FROM  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


nm 


m' 


the  value  of  the  park  is  sure  to  be  destroyecL 
Now  scores  of  camp-fires  are  of  necessity 
Hghted  every  night,  and  in  this  dry  region  tfie 
fires  are  sure  to  spread.  The  forests  are  very 
thick ;  and  the  wood  is  pine,  fir,  and  black 
spruce.  Whtn  on  fire,  nothing  but  heavy  rains 
can  stay  the  devastation  ;  and  no  one  can  ride 
over  the  park  without  seeing  the  ruins  which 
have  already  been  wrought.  We  have  seen 
many  camp-fires  which  have  been  left  burning 
alter  the  tents  were  struck.  When  at  the  Upper 
Basin,  a  camp-fire  spread  into  a  forest  towards 
the  wesc ;  and  die  flames,  rushing  to  the  high 
tops  of  a  thousand  resinous  trees,  made  the 
night  grander  than  all  the  geysers  combined. 


^;l'   ' 


I  4 


TOUR   OF   THE  PARK. 


249. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


TOUR   OF  THE   PARK. 

After  coming  about  fifty-six  miles  by  rail 
din^ctly  south  from  Livingston,  coaches  convey 
passengers  to  the  Great  Mammoth  Springs 
Hotel.  The  building  is  very  spacious,  the 
rooms  large,  and  the  ceilings  high.  It  is  quite 
unfinished,  and  hastily  constructed  ;  but  it  is 
very  comfortable,  and  the  table  is  good.  The 
wood  of  which  it  is  built  was  growing  in  the 
forest  last  March,  as  Mr.  Hatch  tells  us.  The 
hotel  is  four  miles  south  of  the  north  line  of 
the  park,  and  six  miles  from  the  terminus  of  the 
Northern  Pacific  branch  road. 

Starting  from  the  hotel  to  make  the  tour  of 
the  park,  for  more  than  two  miles,  driving  to 
the  right  of  the  terrace,  you  slowly  climb  a 
steep  hill,  difficult  to  go  up,  and  dangerous  to 
come  down.  This  hill  is  a  foot-terrace  of  Ter- 
race Mountain,  which  is  of  geyser  origin.  The 
wonderful  cone  of  the  Lone  Star  Geyser  can 
be  seen  on  the  left  of  the  road.  At  the  left 
you  will  see  Swan  Lake,  distant  from  the  hotel 


fHMUl^ 


250 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


■■A 


'V. 


m,: 


five  miles.  You  will  ncxi  cross  the  Gardiner 
Fork  (seven  miles  and  a  half  trom  the  hotel), 
to  the  upper  end  of  Willow  Park  (eleven 
miles),  and  the  obsidian  cliffs  and  Beaver  Lake 
(twelve  miles). 

These  cliffs  are  of  volcanic  glass.  They  rise 
like  basalt  in  vertical  columns  :  they  are  a  thou- 
sand feet  long,  and  from  a  hundrec  ;^;1  fifty 
to  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high.  The  glass 
is  nearly  black,  like  that  of  which  cheap  bottles 
are  made.  The  glass  carriage-road  at  the  base 
—  a  quarter  of  a  mile  long — was  made  by 
building  great  fires  upon  the  mass,  and  then 
pouring  cold  water  on  the  heated  glass,  in 
which  laborious  way  it  was  subdued  to  a  road- 
bed. 

The  Lake  of  the  Woods  is  fourteen  miles 
from  the  hotel.  A  short  distance  beyond  are 
Hot  Springs,  sixteen  miles  from  the  hotel. 
You  cross  the  Norris  Fork  (twenty  miles),  and 
then  reacn  the  Norris  Geyser  basin  (twenty 
miles  and  a  half). 

No  one  can  adequately  describe  these  power- 
ful geysers  of  every  variety,  from  crystal  streams 
to  thick  mud  thrown  high  in  the  air,  the  smoke, 
the  sulphur  odors,  the  various  colors,  the  rum- 
bling roar,  the  eternal  violent  boiling  of  so 
many  pools,  as  though  fiends  were  below,  vying 
with  each  other  in  heating  high  the  bubbling 
caldrons. 


TOUR   OF  THE  PARK. 


251 


On  the  verge  of  the  road  is  a  hole  which 
sends  out  witii  incessant  roar  and  terrific  force 
a  blast  of  superheated  steam.  On  the  left  of 
tiie  road  is  the  wonderful  Emerald  Pool,  brim 
full  of  clearest  water. 

Just  beyond  is  the  Minute  Geyser;  and 
farther  to  the  left  is  the  Monarch,  which  once 
in  twenty-four  hours  spouts  a  stream  from  a 
hundred  to  a  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet,  and 
the  flow  of  boiling  water  is  immense.  The 
Fearless  is  near  by,  with  a  crater  from  which 
is  spouted  dark-green  water. 

There  are  numerous  other  pools  and  boiling 
springs  and  smoking  basins.  These  must  be 
seen  to  be  appreciated :  no  words  can  fairly 
convey  the  impression  which  they  make. 

Next  comes  the  Gibbon  Paint-pot  Basin ; 
from  the  hotel  twenty-five  miles.  This  beau- 
tiful place  is  several  acres  in  extent,  and  is  half 
a  mile  north-easterly  from  the  bluff  at  the  head 
of  Gibbon  Canon.  It  is  not  very  easy  of  access, 
as  there  is  no  road,  and  the  trail  is  indistinct. 
These  "  paint-pots,"  as  they  are  called,  are  im- 
mense pools  of  boiling  water,  of  every  variety 
of  color,  and  grand  in  their  vastness.  They 
should  not  be  passed  by.  They  cannot  be  seen 
from  the  road  ;  but  long  before  you  reach  them, 
their  smoke,  their  smell,  and  their  noise  will 
tell  you  where  they  are. 


III. 


V-, 


252 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


As  you  turn  to  your  left,  and  enter  the 
Gibbon  Canon,  on  the  right  is  a  foot-bridge  over 
the  river.  A  trail  leads  from  the  bridge,  up  the 
rough  slope  of  the  mountain,  a  thousand  feet 
above  the  river.  You  then  reach  the  Monu- 
ment Geyser  Basin.  This  basin  contains  five 
acres.  The  geysers  are  nearly  extinct ;  and  the 
twelve  monumental  cones  have  a  strange  ap- 
pearance, and  give  the  name  to  the  basin.  The 
belching  steam  is  almost  deafening  as  you 
stand  near,  and  is  heard  for  miles  :  it  is  super- 
heated, and  will  shrivel  a  stout  young  pine  in  a 
minute.  We  are  now  from  the  Mammoth  Hotel 
over  twenty-five  miles. 

Next  come  the  falls  of  the  Gibbon  Kivcr, 
from  the  hotel  twenty- nine  miles.  These  rjr 
on  the  right,  and  are  not  seen  from  the  road  : 
it  requires  considerable  exertion  to  reach  them. 
They  are  very  fine. 

Half  a  mile  farther  we  come  \jn  Canon 
Brook,  a  beautiful  crooked  stream. 

We  next  reach  the  fork  of  the  Firehole  j^iver, 
from  the  hotel  thirty-six  miles.  On  the  right 
and  west  side  of  the  river,  some  distance  from 
the  main  road,  is  a  little  hotel  called  Marshall's : 
to  reach  this,  you  must  ford  the  river. 

A  little  more  than  a  mile  from  Marshall's, 
following  the  road,  you  come  to  the  black- 
smith's  shop   of  Graham    Henderson,  who   is 


TOUR   OF  THE  PARK. 


253 


right 

from 

ihall's ; 


employed  by  che  government.  His  log  house 
is  at  the  forks  of  the  road ;  the  right  leading  to 
the  Upper  Geyser  Basin,  and  the  left  leading 
to  the  falls  and  the  Yellowstone  Lake.  This  is 
from  the  Mammoth  Hotel  thirty-seven  miles. 

Next  we  reach  the  Lower  Geyser  Basin,  from 
the  Mammoth  Hotel  thirty-nine  miles.  This 
basin  is  of  large  area,  and  in  it  are  known  to 
be  seventeen  geysers  and  many  hot  springs. 
In  one  of  these  the  whitened  skeleton  of  a 
buffalo  was  discovered.  The  Fountain  Geyser 
is  the  most  remarkable  in  this  basin.  West  of 
the  geyser  is  a  group  of  springs  where  the  de- 
posit is  such  that  the  ground  appears  deluged 
in  blood. 

VVe  next  reach  the  Midway  Basin,  from  the 
Mammoth  Hotel  forty-one  miles.  This  basin 
is  on  the  right  across  the  Firehole  River,  high 
above  the  stream.  A  foot-bridge  leads  to  it : 
its  ever-ascending  smoke  will  point  it  out.  It 
runs  a  mile  along  the  river-bank. 

The  Sheridan  Geyser,  named  after  the  illus- 
trious general,  is,  without  doubt,  the  largest 
in  the  known  world.  Gen.  Sheridan,  while  at 
the  Mammoth  Springs  on  the  31st  of  August 
last  (1883),  told  my  father  that  he  was  present 
at  an  eruption  of  this  geyser ;  and  he  subse- 
quchtly  wrote  an  account  of  it  as  follows :  — • 


*l 


M' 


lit 


254  F/?OM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 

Headquarters  Military  Division  of  the  Missouri, 
Chicago,  Oct.  23,  1883. 

Hon.  Edwards  Pierrepont, 

No.  loj  Fifth  Avenue,  New- York  City. 

My  dear  Sir,  —  In  reply  to  your  note  of  Sept. 
14,  inquiring  how  the  "Sheridan  Geyser"  in  the 
Yellowstone  Park  came  to  receive  its  name,  I  would 
say  that  in  1881  I  visited  the  park  with  Mr,  Baronett 
as  my  guide.  He  was  the  first  person  to  tell  me  of 
this  geyser,  had  seen  it  when  it  first  erupted,  and 
had  named  it  after  me  from  that  time  The  crater 
of  the  geyser  was  about  seventy  feet  in  diameter, 
and  threw  up  a  column  of  water  of  about  that  diame- 
ter and  about  four  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  high, 
as  estimated  by  Mr.  Baronett,  who  has  had  great 
experience  with  geysers.  Its  period,  at  that  time, 
was  about  four  days.  In  moving  out  from  the  Gey- 
ser Basin,  about  four  days  after  a  previous  eruption, 
I  stopped  some  time  in  order  to  see  the  display :  but 
my  time  would  not  permit  me  to  wait  longer,  and  I 
had  to  move  on  ;  when  I  reached  the  Lower  Geyser 
Basin,  the  eruption  took  place,  and  I  was  distant  from 
it  some  three  or  four  miles.  It  seemed  to  be  of 
unusual  height,  but  I  did  not  see  it  while  immediately 
in  its  vicinity. 

In  1882  I  revisited  the  Geyser  Basin.  I  discovered 
that,  durin^';  the  interval,  tlie  action  had  been  very 
violent :  tb  t  crater  had  increased,  and  eruptions  had 
torn  away  the  surface  of  the  crater  in  the  direction 
of  Firehole  River,  making  a  slight  depression  in  the 
general  surface.  Large  blocks  of  stone  had  been 
thrown  out,  and  carried  by  the  current  through  this 
depression  into  Firehole  River,  while  smaller  rocks 


TOUR   OF   THE  PARK, 


255 


ISSOURI, 


Sept. 

in   the 

would 

ironett 

me  of 
;d,  and 

crater 
imeter, 

diame- 
it  high, 
i  great 
t  time, 
he  Gey- 
-uption, 
but 

,  and  I 

Geyser 

nt  from 
be  of 

ediately 

covered 
en  very 
ons  had 
irection 
n  in  the 
id  been 
igh  this 
er  rocks 


ay 


were  scattered  for  some  distance  around  the  crater. 
I  was  so  unfortunate  as  not  to  see  it  in  action  again  ; 
though  after  I  had  passed  it,  and  was  examining  the 
geysers  of  the  Lower  Geyser  Basin,  there  wore  two 
eruptions  from  it,  separated  by  intervals  of  about 
two  hours,  but  they  did  not  seem  to  be  so  high  as 
the  first  one  I  saw. 

In  1883  I  again  visited  this  geyser:  I  did  not 
have  an  opportunity  of  seeing  it  in  active  condition, 
but  the  appearance  of  the  crater  indicated  that  there 
had  been  very  violent  action. 

I  enclose  a  letter  of  Surgeon  W.  H.  Forwood, 
U.  S.  A.,  who  accompanied  me  upon  each  of  my  visits 
to  the  Yellowstone  Park,  and  who  examined  the  gey- 
ser more  carefullv. 

Very  truly  yours, 

P.   H.   SHERIDAN, 

Lieutenant  General. 

Chicago,  III.,  Sept.  24,  1883. 
Gen.  SHERmAN,  Chicago,  III. 

Dear  General,  —  In  reply  to  your  inquiry  regard- 
ing my  observation  of  the  Sheridan  Geyser,  I  have 
to  say  that  I  was  present,  and  saw  an  ^fuption  of 
the  geyser,  Aug.  21,  1882.  It  was  early  in  the  morn- 
ing :  the  air  was  chilly,  and  the  steam  condensed 
with  great  rapidity.  The  water  rose  at  first  in  a 
great  body,  perhaps  twenty  or  thirty  feet  in  diame- 
ter; but  before  it  had  reached  fifty  feet  in  height, 
the  whole  place  was  enveloped  in  such  a  dense  cloud 
of  steam,  that  I  could  only  judge  of  what  was  going 
on  by  the  tremendous  rushing  noise,  and  the  vibra- 
tions of  the  surrounding  surface. 


i 


:?'  ;:f^:^I^T 


'  !i 


256 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO   ALASKA. 


The  column  of  steam  was  two  hundred  feet  in 
diameter,  and  shot  up  several  hundred  feet  into  the 
air.  The  eruption  lasted  about  five  or  six  minutes, 
accompanied  by  the  throwing-out  of  small  rocks, 
fragments  of  the  geyserite ;  and  when  it  had  sub- 
sided, a  brisk  shower,  from  the  condensing  vapor, 
fell  in  a  circuit  around  the  crater. 

The  group  of  hot  springs  at  this  point  was  first 
described  by  Dr.  A.  C.  Peale,  in  United-States  Geo- 
logical Report  for  1871,  and  named  by  him  the 
"Wayside  Springs."  The  one  now  known  as  the 
Sheridan  Geyser  was  called  the  Caldron.  Its  erup- 
tions are  believed  to  have  begun  some  time  in  1881. 

These  were  first  discovered  and  pointed  out  by 
Mr.  Baronett,  owner  of  Baronctt's  Bridge.  Passing 
from  the  state  of  a  hot  spring  to  that  of  a  geyser, 
it  was  entitled  to  a  new  name ;  and  Mr.  Baronett,  as 
the  discoverer,  was  entitled  to  name  it,  which  he  did, 
calling  it  the  "  Sheridan  Geyser,"  I  recognized  his 
priority,  and  adopted  it  in  my  report  of  1882. 
Very  respectfully  your  obedient  servant, 

W.   H.    FOR  WOOD,  Surgeon  U.S.A. 

An  attempt  has  been  made  to  call  this  the 
Excelsior  Geyser.  This  heated  pit  is  three 
hundred  and  thirty  by  two  hundred  feet.  The 
water  is  of  a  deep  clear  blue,  more  beautiful  in 
tint  than  any  blue  of  the  sky  :  it  is  wonderfully 
transparent,  and  you  can  look  down  m.ore  than 
twenty  feet  below  the  surface.  It  is  intensely 
agitated,  and  dense  clouds  of  steam  incessantly 
arise  :  it  is  only  when  the  wind  sweeps  the  vapor 


^IP»,""^?I" 


TOUR  OF  THE  PARK. 


:57 


aside,  that  you  can  look  deeply  down.  It  was 
not  known  to  be  a  geyser  until  a  few  years  ago, 
when  the  eruption  was  so  great  that  the  Fire- 
hole  River  was  so  swollen  as  to  carry  away  the 
bridges  below.  Col.  Norris,  then  the  superin- 
tendent of  the  park,  reported  that  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1880  the  power  of  the  eruption  was 
almost  incredible  ;  "  elevating  sufficient  water 
to  heights  of  from  a  hundred  to  three  hundred 
feet,  to  render  the  Firehole  River  nearly  a  hun- 
dred yards  wide,  a  foaming  torrent  of  steam- 
ing hot  water,  and  hurling  rocks  of  from  one 
to  a  hundred  pounds  in  weight,  like  those  from 
an  exploded  mine,  over  surrounding  acres." 
When  in  action  it  causes  rumbling  vibrations 
like  an  earthquake,  and  throws  out  stones  like  a 
volcano.  We  did  not  see  it  in  eruptive  action. 
It  is  popularly  known  as  "  Hell's  Half-Acre." 
The  intervals  of  eruption  are  as  yet  unknown. 

Next  we  reach  Old  Faithful  in  the  Upper 
Geyser  Basin,  ten  miles  above  the  forks  of  the 
road,  and  from  the  Mammoth  Springs  forty- 
seven  miles.  This  basin  is  some  four  miles 
long ;  but  the  principal  geysers  are  situated  on 
both  sides  of  the  Firehole  River,  and  within 
the  space  of  about  half  a  mile.  Excepting  the 
Sheridan  Geyser,  which  far  surpasses  any  other, 
the  chief  geysers  are  in  this  basin.  There  are 
more  than  twenty. 


}. 


\ 


h 


r 


»!' 


r     i':-W 


258 


F/eOAf  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


There  arc  numerous  other  geysers  and  boil- 
ing springs  in  the  park,  but  I  have  mentioned 
the  most  noted.  There  are  several  on  the  Yel- 
lowstone Lake.  They  often  injure  the  waters 
of  the  lakes  and  rivers  into  which  their  over- 
flow runs,  rendering  them  warm  and  disagree- 
able to  the  taste,  and  often  unhealthy. 

We  now  return  to  Henderson's  (the  black- 
smith's) at  the  road-forks,  some  ten  miles  north 
of  Old  Faithful.  Taking  the  easterly  and  left 
fork  of  the  road,  we  advance  towards  the  Yel- 
lowstone Lake ;  and  going  twenty-two  miles 
we  come  to  the  other  forks,  the  right  leading 
to  the  lake  (ten  miles),  and  the  left  going  to 
the  falls  (eight  miles)  :  h^nce  from  forks  of 
road  at  the  blacksmith's  shop  to  the  lake  is 
thirty-two  miles,  and  to  the  falls  thirty  miles. 

The  distance  from  the  Mammoth  Springs 
Hotel  to  Old  Faithful  in  the  Upper  Geyser 
Basin,  thence  to  the  Yellowstone  Lake,  and 
thence  back  to  the  Mammoth  Springs,  is  by 
the  carriage-road  a  hundred  and  seventy-five 
miles ;  and  the  collateral  distance  travelled  over 
in  bridle-paths  to  see  the  Yellowstone  Canons 
and  various  other  curiosities  is  twenty-five 
miles,  making  in  all  two  hundred  miles. 

The  lake  has  no  considerable  attractions.  It 
has  no  snow  mountains.  Geysers  and  hot 
springs  flow  in  some  places ;  and  with  a  little 


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rO^'A'    OF   THE   PARK. 


259 


wind  the  waters  are  made  turbid,  and  uniU  to 
drink.  The  trout  are  large  and  sickly,  full  of 
white  worms,  which  make  them  Very  thin  and 
unfit  for  food,  and  no  more  j^^amey  than  a  bull- 
head or  a  codfish.  The  lake  is  said  to  be 
twenty  miles  by  fifteen,  and  very  deep.  It  may 
be  "crystal  clear"  in  some  places,  but  we  saw 
no  such.  In  and  around  the  lake  and  river,  we 
saw  innumerable  swans,  geese,  pelicans,  ducks, 
and  many  snipe  and  woodcock. 

In  the  river  we  caught  many  healthy  trout, 
which  were  gamey  enough,  and  took  the  fly 
quite  eagerly. 

Camped  on  the  road  to  the  lake.  Went  out 
with  Wyatt  in  the  hope  of  seeing  some  game ; 
found  plenty  of  old  "  sign,"  but  nothing  else. 
We  came  across  one  curiosity  which  all  the 
men  said  had  never  been  seen  in  the  whole  of 
their  hunting  experiences,  —  the  winter-quar- 
ters of  a  bear,  surrounded  by  mounds  of  de- 
posit ;  and,  as  it  is  generally  supposed  t'lat 
l^^ears  take  nu  nourishment  during  their  winter 
seclusion,  this  circumstance  surprised  us  all. 


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THE   GREAT   FALLS    OF   THE   YELLOWSTONE. 

To  reach  the  falls,  we  return  from  the  lake 
ten  miles  by  the  road,  and  following  the  north 
fork  some  two  miles  we  reach  on  our  right 
Sulphur  Mountains  or  Crater  Hills.    These  hills 


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Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  NY.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


•I 


26o 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


are  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high,  com- 
posed of  calcareous  substances  impregnated 
with  sulphur  and  iron.  At  the  foot  of  the  hills 
are  numerous  sulphur-springs.  The  sulphur- 
deposits  are  very  pure,  and  hundreds  of  tons 
lie  in  heaps  of  bright  yellow  crystals.  The 
fumes  are  quite  powerful  as  they  rise  from  the 
boiling  caldrons,  and  a  serious  accident  hap- 
pened to  a  horseman  who  rode  too  near  one  of 
them.     They  are  very  cun'ous  and  wonderful. 

From  Sulphur  Mountains  you  proceed  about 
six  miles  until  you  reach  the  Upper  Fall  of  a 
hundred  and  twelve  feet. 

Between  the  Upper  and  Lower  Falls,  the  dis- 
tance is  half  a  mile.  Midway  on  the  west  side 
are  the  Crystal  Cascades,  which  are  the  falls  of 
a  small,  wild,  rocky  stream  which  rises  in  Mount 
Washburn,  and  runs  into  the  Yellowstone : 
these  three  cascades  are  very  beautiful,  and 
make  a  fall  of  about  a  hundred  and  thirty  feet. 
Here  the  Yellowstone  rushes  almost  due  north 
through  a  very  narrow  gorge,  and  the  Great 
Fall  of  three  hundred  feet  or  more  soon  ap- 
pears. The  waters  are  very  green.  The  Lower 
Fall  is  far  deeper  than  the  Upper,  but  in  many 
respects  the  Upper  is  the  more  attractive. 

But  the  Grand  Canon,  twenty-four  miles  long 
and  at  some  points  twelve  hundred  feet  deep, 
is  said  to  be  far  the  most  wonderful  mountain 


rOUR   OF   THE  PARK. 


261 


gorge  yet  discovered  in  the  world.  Its  lofty 
rugged  sides,  brilliant  with  varied  colors,  are 
marvellous  indeed.  We  observed  that  tourists 
loved  to  linger  here  above  any  other  place  in 
the  park,  and  artists  from  Europe  were  sketch- 
inof  its  unrivalled  beauties. 

This  park,  —  wonderland  as  it  is  called,  — 
large  as  a  European  principality,  has  been  but 
partially  explored ;  and  new  discoveries  are 
pretty  sure  to  be  made.  I  have  the  assurance 
from  competent  and  trustworthy  men,  that, 
since  shooting  at  game  is  prohibited,  the  lakes 
will  soon  be  alive  with  wild  geese,  ducks,  swans, 
and  other  water-fowl,  and  the  meadows  and 
plains  full  of  buffalo,  deer,  antelope,  elk,  and  the 
wild  big-horn  sheep,  with  bears  also,  unless  they 
are  excepted  from  the  order  preventing  the 
killing  of  game. 

The  present  roads  are  to  a  large  extent  un- 
wisely laid  out,  the  engineering  very  defective, 
and  the  construction  atrocious  ;  but  the  govern- 
ment has  lately  put  the  roads  under  the  charge 
of  Lieut.  Kingman,  who  is  said  to  be  a  very 
competent  engineer.  We  met  him  in  the  park. 
He  is  a  young  man  of  agreeable  manners, 
intelligence,  and  energy,  and  much  may  be 
expected  from  his  New-England  industry  and 
ambition  for  success. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  increasing  num- 


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/•TiOM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO   ALASKA. 


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bers  will  visit  this  interesting  region  as  the 
facilities  of  transit  and  hotel  accommodations 
increase ;  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  scientific 
men  will  be  able  before  long  to  satisfy  them- 
selves and  the  world  as  to  whether  the  geysers 
and  boiling  pools  come  of  the  chemical  action 
of  water  upon  lime  and  other  minerals,  or  from 
internal  fires  kept  burning  in  the  earth. 

As  you  drive  through  the  park  you  will  see 
miles  upon  miles  of  thick  tall  forest,  covering 
an  area  of  more  than  a  hundred  thousand  acres, 
in  which  every  tree  is  dead,  not  a  living  branch 
or  leaf  appearing.  The  trees  stand  thick  and 
upright,  their  limbs  firm,  and  the  fine  bushy 
spray  nearly  perfect  even  to  the  ends  of  their 
branches  ;  their  color  is  ashy  white,  and  in  the 
moonlight  they  seem  like  forest  corpses  stand- 
ing erect  where  the  blast  of  death  struck  them 
all  at  once.  On  many  hillsides  you  will  see 
forests  longer  dead,  prostrate  by  the  winds, 
covering  the  ground  thickly  as  wheat-straws  on 
a  cradled  field. 

You  need  not  travel  to  Yellowstone  Lake  to 
catch  trout  in  a  cold  stream,  and  boil  them  in 
a  pool,  without  changing  your  tracks  :  you  can 
do  it  on  the  banks  of  the  Gardner  River,  with- 
in two  miles  of  the  Mammoth  Hotel. 


On  the  30th  of  August  the  President  arrived^ 


lilli 


TOUR   OF  THE  PARK. 


263 


escorted  by  Gen.  Sheridan,  and  accompanied 
by  Secretary  Lincoln,  Senator  Vest,  Judge 
Rollins,  the  accomplished  surrogate  of  New- 
York,  Gov.  Crosby,  and  others.  A  cavalcade 
of  mules  and  horses,  three  hundred  in  number, 
attended  them.  They  had  made  an  easy  jour- 
ney on  horseback,  the  horses  walking  the  en- 
tire way,  and  stopping  a  few  minutes  for  rest 
every  hour. 

The  distinguished  party  encamped  near  the 
springs  ;  and  in  the  evening  the  President,  with 
Gen.  Sheridan  and  the  rest,  visited  the  hotel, 
where  he  was  entertained  with  music,  etc. 
They  left  early  on  the  31st  for  Livingston  e7i 
route  by  the  Northern  Pacific  for  St.  Paul. 

I  was  hunting  in  the  Hoodoo  Mountains  at 
the  time,  and  did  not  see  the  President ;  but  my 
father  was  at  the  springs,  from  whom  \  received 
the  information  about  the  President's  visit. 

We  noticed,  while  at  the  falls,  a  bird  by  the 
water's  edge,  picking  up  his  food  with  great 
industry ;  and  on  examination  we  found  that  he 
was  extracting  from  a  little  stone  house  a  worm, 
which  for  its  dwelling  had  cemented  together 
small  particles  of  granite  in  a  curious  manner : 
the  mosaic-work  was  wonderful,  and  the  glue 
was  not  dissolved  by  the  water. 

Mr.  Brown,  an  English  artist,  was  here,  tak- 
ing in  water-colors  some  of  the  more  beautiful 
views  of  this  marvellous  canon. 


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264 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


Just  here  the  retriever  of  Dr.  Bushnell  rushed 
into  the  camp,  with  his  nose  full  of  porcupine- 
quills  ;  he  yelping  with  pain  as  most  of  them 
were  extracted,  while  some  of  them  broke  off, 
too  deeply  embedded  to  be  pulled  out. 

Here  I  had  some  superb  trout-fishing  by 
climbing  down  a  very  steep  cliff,  and  getting 
close  to  the  fall  where  there  were  some  pools 
out  of  the  main  current,  and  which  evidently 
had  not  been  fished ;  for,  the  moment  I  threw 
the  small  white  miller,  the  rush  to  seize  it  was 
immense.  The  sport  was  so  exciting  that  it 
was  dark  before  I  was  aware ;  and  the  danger- 
ous ascent  delayed  me  so  long  that  the  camp 
became  alarmed  for  my  safety,  and  commenced 
a  search.  1  hardly  appreciated  the  peril  until 
the  next  day,  when  I  saw  that  a  misstep  would 
have  sent  me  down  the  canon  many  hundred 
feet.  However,  I  had  the  pleasure  of  a  fine 
catch  of  trout  which  had  never  experienced 
the  sensation  of  being  caught  before. 

To  those  who  enjoy  trout-fishing  and  shoot- 
ing big  game,  the  Yellowstone,  its  tributaries, 
and  the  Hoodoo  Mountains,  afford  a  healthful 
pleasure  of  unequalled  attraction. 


I  ,ii « 


LOST  IN  THE  HOO.DOO  MOUNTAINS. 


265. 


K 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

LOST    IN    THE    HOODOO    MOUNTAINS   WHILE  HUNT- 
ING  ELK  AND   BIG-HORN. 

Early  on  the  26th  of  August  I  left  the  Great 
Falls  of  the  Yellowstone  with  a  hunter  Mr. 
Wyatt,  and  Mr.  Murray  to  assist  us,  taking  the 
three  pack-horses,  and  three  saddle-horses  to 
ride. 

My  father,  with  the  government  escort,  re- 
turned to  the  National  Hotel  at  the  Mammoth 
Springs ;  and  I  with  my  party  started  for  a  hunt 
of  three  weeks  in  Wyoming,  east  of  the  park, 
among  the  Hoodoo  Mountains,  a  range  north 
of  the  Big  Horn  and  Stinking  Water. 

This  is  the  region  known  as  the  land  of  pet- 
rified forests,  or  Goblin  Mountains ;  difficult  of 
access,  very  v.ild,  of  great  altitude,  and  a  good 
place  for  "Rocky-Mountain  sheep"  or  "big- 
horn," an  animal  which  I  had  always  longed  to 
kill.  Its  cunning  is  even  greater  than  that  of 
the  chamois  or  ibis;  and  it  is  immeasurably 
more  difficult  to  shoot  than  the  noble  elk  —  to 
my  mind  the  monarch  of  the  forest. 


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266 


FROM  FIFTH  AVEXUE    TO  ALASKA. 


We  filed  along  the  canon  side,  looking  down 
a  thousand,  and  at  times  twelve  hundred,  feet, 
to  the  Yellowstone  below.  Our  six  ponies  in 
line  made  quite  a  cavalcade.  Wyatt  led,  on  a 
grand  black  hunting-pony  not  afraid  of  bears, 
though  apt  to  shy  at  any  small  animal  like  a 
chipmunk  running  across  his  path  ;  the  sudden- 
ness being  to  him  more  terrifying  than  any  real 
danger.  Next  came  the  first  "  pack,"  a  roan 
cayuse  named  "  Mud  Geyser,"  lazy,  sure-footed, 
slow,  and  fat.  Next  then,  your  humble  ser- 
vant, riding  "White  Stockings,"  a  pretty  sorrel, 
very  steady  and  speedy,  and  capable  of  SLu.nd- 
ing  any  thing.  Then  followed  our  second  pack. 
"  Buckskin,"  a  strong  yellow  broncho,  an  infer- 
nal bucker,  but  a  splendid  pack-horse.  Then 
in  order,  my  second  man  Murray,  riding  "  Old 
Reily,"  an  aged  roan,  blind  of  one  eye,  ugly, 
and  apt  to  stumble  :  his  good  qualities  we  only 
found  out  later  on,  when  we  discovered  him  to 
be  the  best  riding-horse  of  the  outfit,  both  as 
to  his  "  lope"  and  walk.  Last  of  all  came  the 
dark  sorrel,  "  Rocketer,"  —  as  named  by  a  lady 
friend  after  I  had  explained  his  powers  of  loco- 
motion,—  packed  lightly,  and  led  by  a  rope. 

The  two  leaders  of  the  four  rnules  attached 
to  father's  military  wagon  bore  rather  comical 
names,  —  one  Henry  Ward  Beecher,  and  the 
other  Horace  Greeley. 


LOST  IN  THE  HOODOO  MOUNTAINS. 


267 


Mile  after  mile  in  Indian-file  we  followed  the 
long  trail  along  the  top  of  the  Grand  Caiion, 
now  and  then  pausing  for  one  second  to  catch 
a  glimpse  of  this  marvellous  gorge  when  some 
particularly  imposing  point  had  been  reached. 
Rocketer  occ"  ionally  objected  to  these  views, 
and  acted  very  nervously,  which  was  not  to  be 
wondered  at. 

Those  of  you  who  have  read  "  Bailie  Groh- 
man's  "  interesting  account  of  the  unexplored 
canons  of  Colorado  —  the  dizzy  depths,  rushing 
waters,  and  perpendicular  narrow  walls  rising 
thousands  of  feet  —  will  possibly  appreciate  our 
day's  ride  northward  along  the  great  Yellow- 
stone Caiion.  The  feeling  is  as  if  we  were 
going  into  the  depths  of  a  Norwegian  whirl- 
pool, which  Poe  so  graphically  describes  in 
"The  Descent  of  the  Maelstrom." 

Soon  after  this  we  parted  with  our  canon, 
and  began  to  ascend.  Now  we  encircled  the 
base  of  Mount  Washburn  (height  10.340  feet), 
and  then  climbed  on  till  we  were  some  eight 
thousand  feet  above  sea-level ;  the  trail  running 
over  hills,  girding  mountains,  now  cutting 
through  the  open  for  several  miles,  and  then 
suddenly  striking  through  the  pines. 

Thus  we  travelled  on  our  course  ;  and  for  one 
moment,  in  the  far  distance,  we  caught  sight  of 
our  hunting-ground,  the    Hoodoo   Mountains, 


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268 


FKOM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


cold,  blue,  snowy,  lying  far  to  the  north.  In 
two  more  days  we  hoped  to  reach  them  before 
getting  any  sport ;  for  if  one  in  the  present 
day  expects  to  kill  "  big-horn "  he  will  have 
many  a  mile  to  travel,  and  weeks  perhaps  of 
hard  work,  before  ever  seeing  the  imprint  of  a 
single  hoof. 

Elk  may  perhaps  be  found  at  any  time ;. 
though,  as  long  as  "  hide  "-hunters  exist,  this 
noble  game  will  continue  to  decrease,  and  prob- 
ably be  the  more  difficult  to  kill.  But  "  big- 
horn "  are  quite  another  thing.  The  hide  itself 
is  worthless,  and  the  difficulty  of  hunting  them 
so  great  as  to  prevent  their  being  much  thinned 
off  for  meat ;  and  yet,  though  a  man  might  be 
in  a  splendid  sheep  country,  see  fresh  signs 
everywhere  and  "  beds "  all  along  the  rocks, 
still,  if  he  were  ignorant  how  to  approach,  he 
might  not  even  be  able  to  catch  a  glimpse  of 
their  much-prized  horns. 

Toward  evening,  after  making  twenty  miles, 
we  camped  on  Tower  Creek,  which  empties,  a 
few  hundred  yards  farther  down,  into  the  Yel- 
lowstone. 

Wandering  down  to  the  Tower  Falls  (a  hun- 
dred and  sixty  feet) ,  —  so  called  from  the  curi- 
ous lofty  pinnacles  which  stand  as  sentinels  on 
each  side,  —  I  tried  to  fish  just  where  the 
creek  empties  into  the  main  river,  but  found 


LOST  IN   THE   HOODOO   MOUNTAINS. 


269 


I.  In 
oefore 
resent 
have 
ips  of 
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time ; 
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3-  them 
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icrht  be 
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found 


that  the  sulphur-springs  were  so  abundant  as 
to  drive  every  fish  away,  though  a  hundred 
yards  farther  up  the  trout  were  very  plentiful. 
Returned  to  camp ;  and  after  making  up  the 
bed,  and  rolling  myself  in  the  buffalo-robe,  I 
write  these  lines  by  the  light  of  a  candle  stuck 
in  the  top  of  a  molasses-can  used  as  an  extem- 
pore candlestick. 

Aug.  27.  —  The  night  turned  out  very  warm. 
After  breakfast  I  found  that  one  of  my  lead- 
pencils  had  disappeared,  —  a  serious  mishap; 
for,  as  I  have  but  one  left,  its  loss  would  leave 
me  with  no  chances  of  taking  notes.  Met  an 
Englishman  going  the  opposite  direction,  and 
in  the  course  of  conversation  found  him  to  be 
a  Cambridge  graduate,  which  seemed  quite  a 
strange  coincidence  in  this  lonely  region. 

After  journeying  some  fourteen  miles  north- 
west we  reached  the  gamekeeper's  cabin,  so 
called  from  the  fact  of  its  having  once  been  in- 
habited by  such  an  official,  though  now  owned 
by  "  Jump,"  a  curious  specimen  of  indifferent, 
kjnd-hearted  humanity,  half  hunter,  half  pros- 
pector, living  in  this  lonely  little  hut  which 
was  the  last  sign  of  civilization.  The  proprie- 
tor had  not  yet  turned  up,  he  (as  we  learned) 
being  off  fishmg ;  so,  following  his  example,  I 
started  for  the  East  Fork  of  the  Yellowstone,  a 
small  river  but  a  few  yards  off.     Finding  a  deep 


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\  V  ^  ' 


270 


/■KOA/  FIFTir  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


M 


hole,  I  managed  to  hook  four  pounds  in  a  short 
time,  using  my  favorite  rubber  grasshopper. 

Going  back  I  found  "  Old  Jump,"  as  he  is 
called,  entering  the  cabin  ;  a  long  string  of  big 
trout  in  one  hand,  and  an  enormous  pole  in  the 
other.  He  was  booming  with  profanity,  his 
gray  locks  and  beard  flying  in  the  air,  and  his 
gaunt,  bowed,  very  tall  figure  swaying  about  in 
a  sort  of  loose,  disjointed  manner,  quite  ludi- 
crous to  behold.  I  gave  him  some  rubber 
grasshoppers  (which  in  his  estimation  were 
great  curiosities),  a  couple  of  fish-lines,  and 
some  gaudy  salmon-flies.  These  trifling  gifts, 
coupled  with  a  good  drink  of  whiskey,  made 
him  most  friendly ;  and  he  showered  upon  us 
every  attention  which  his  modest  means  could 
afford.  Unfortunately  he  begged  me  to  sleep 
on  the  floor  of  the  hut  instead  of  outside,  and 
spread  some  of  his  own  bedding  down  to  make 
the  boards  soft.  I  agreed.  Oh,  horrors !  the 
place  swarmed  with  vermin,  which,  though  un- 
felt  by  his  own  callous  hide,  made  my  night 
one  of  perpetual  torment.  Shakspeare's  Clar- 
ence may  have  had  an  awful  dream  of  dead 
men's  skulls  in  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  but  I 
had  something  worse  than  dreams  all  night. 
At  dawn  I  got  a  little  rest. 

When  I  awoke,  a  curious  scene  was  bein/ 
enacted :  Jump  was  parching  some .  coffee  be- 


LOST  IN  THE'  HOODOO  MOUNTAINS. 


.71 


fore  the  fire,  which  by  the  crackling  gave  evi- 
dence of  having  just  been  started.  Recliring 
in  different  positions  over  the  boards  .vere 
drowsy  men  awaking  to  hfe,  who  had  en^ercd 
while  we  slept,  at  various  hours  in  Oe  ni[;ht; 
A  cat  was  purring  in  front  of  the  stove ;  anel 
an  Old  iien,  followed  by  three  scraggy  ch'ckens, 
picked  their  way  about,  having  just  entered  by 
the  open  door.  Among  the  rafters  and  in  the 
huge  logs  which  made  up  the  walls  were  hung 
every  imaginable  thing,  —  fishing-rods,  colossal 
Mexican  spurs  with  rowels  like  diminutive 
water-wheels,  a  coffee-mill,  old  Cheyenne  sad- 
dles, bleached  elk-horns,  an  aged  porcupine- 
skin,  a  couple  of  sheep-hides  shrivelled  and 
only  half  cured,  wet  clothes  drying  by  the  fire, 
pieces  of  candle,  flour,  coffee,  sugar,  green  tea, 
and  a  hundred  other  little  odds  and  ends ; 
which  made  up  our  last  look  at  civilization,  be- 
fore reaching  the  remote  wilderness  for  which 
we  headed. 

After  dropping  a  line  to  father,  —  to  be  taken 
by  the  mounted  mail -carrier,  who  twice  a  week 
stopped  to  lasso  a  fresh  horse  in  the  corral 
while  passing  to  and  fro  between  Cook's  City 
(a  mining-camp  lying  to  the  westward)  and 
Livingston,  —  we  packed  up,  said  good-by,  and 
were  soon  on  the  "  blazed  trail  "  leading  south- 
ward towards  the  "  Goblin  Land." 


fifl 

1 

ME 


1;; .  i  ■ 


■hBifp! 


272 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE   TO   ALASKA. 


Hour  after  hour  we  wound  along  through  the 
timber,  wading  streams  and  dimbing  hills,  until 
having  reached  a  fair  elevation  we  camped  for 
the  night  by  the  side  of  a  running  brook. 

After  dining  off  a  couple  of  pheasants  (their 
ruffed  black  necks  and  fan-like  tails  and  brown- 
ish-colored bodies  making  quite  a  different  bird 
from  the  gay-plumaged  English  bird  of  the 
same  name),  and  after  the  horses  had  enjoyed 
the  good  grass  which  abounded  in  the  open, 
we  saddled  "  White  Stocking"  and  "  Old  Pard," 
and  made  a  detour  along  the  bottom-land, 
hoping  perhaps  to  catch  a  bear  digging  roots. 
There  were  plenty  of  old  "  signs  "  of  both  bear 
and  elk,  but  nothing  fresh.  Here  and  there 
we  saw  specimens  of  petrified  trees,  which 
marked  the  beginning  of  the  Hoodoo  region, 
which  we  hoped  to  reach  the  next  day. 

Guiding  the  ponies  over  several  streams  and 
creeks,  we  came  upon  several  beaver  "slides" 
and  dams,  having  masses  of  large  stones  for 
Aveights  on  top,  which  VVyatt  said  these  little 
fellows  by  their  united  efforts  had  managed  to 
pile  up.  The  limbs  of  the  cotton-wood  and 
quaking-ash  are  cut  into  pieces  about  a  foot 
long,  which  the  beavers  lay  aside  for  winter 
food,  making  use  of  the  bark. 

Returning,  I  shot  a  porcupine  through  the 
head ;  but,  as  night  was  drawing  on,  we  had  no 


-"-y^  i«fr-"v^;*7w.'^»w!„r7'^"'f'?*'«  ,w*.7'' 


LOST  TN  THE  HOODOO  MOUNTAINS. 


273 


time  for  skinning.  Their  hides  are  difficult  to 
pack ;  since  the  quills  work  their  way  through 
the  skin  of  a  horse,  mule,  or  dog,  causing  in- 
tense pain  ;  though  the  alleged  power  of  the 
animal  to  shoot  its  quills  is  a  myth,  much  akin 
to  the  well-known  tale  that  Rocky-mountain 
sheep  when  descending  cliffs  land  on  their  horns. 
I  have  observed  laree  numbers  of  "bi<i-horn"  in 
order  to  ascertain  whether  there  was  any  truth 
in  these  assertions,  and  have  never  seen  an 
instance,  nor  have  I  ever  met  a  hunter  who 
would  personally  vouch  for  this  absurd  state- 
ment. 

Aug.  29.  —  Continuing  our  journey  over  the 
blazed  trail,  we  soon  came  to  a  very  difficult 
ascent,  excessively  steep  and  arduous.  Saw 
some*  old  elk-trails  and  the  fresh  track  of  a 
bull  elk.  After  more  climbing,  we  at  last 
reached  snow-banks ;  and  in  two  hours  more 
reached  the  longed-for  Hoodoo  Basin,  an  un- 
dulating piece  of  land,  made  up  of  park..,  the 
heads  of  streanis,  grassy  slopes,  little  woody 
belts,  snow-ridges,  and  recesses,  the  whole  be- 
ing suiTOunded,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach, 
by  ranges  of  vast  snow-mountains  and  inacces- 
sible rocky  peaks.  The  altitude  was  ten  thou- 
sand feet  above  the  sea,  and  every  thing  bore 
evidence  of  being  a  good  Rocky-mountain- 
sheep  country. 


8 


fi/ 


'Sl'      ii  rr 

ii- 


ill 


274 


FROM  FIFTH  A  VFNr^E    TO  ALASKA. 


*ff 


Encamping  by  a  little  running  stream  from 
the  melting  of  the  snowbanks,  we  were  sur- 
prised, while  sitting  around  the  fire,  to  be 
visited  by  two  old  hide-hunters,  dressed  in 
tattered  clothes  partly  made  up  of  skins,  their 
faces  tanned  to  a  mahogany  hue,  and  their 
whole  appearance  being  that  of  another  race 
from  ourselves.  For  six  years  they  had  never 
slept  in  a  house;  their. vocation  being  one  of 
merely  killing  animals  for  the  pelts,  and,  after 
half  a  year  had  been  spent  in  getting  a  load, 
taking  them  to  the  nearest  fur-station,  and 
receiving  in  return  powder,  shot,  Hour,  coffee, 
sugar,  salt,  and  money,  and  then  again  burying 
themselves  among  the  vast  rocky  ranges  of 
the  hunting-grounds.  They  both  used  Sharps, 
with  the  single  shot,  solid  ball,  and  seventy 
to  ninety  grains  of  powder.  We  enlightened 
them  as  to  where  they  were,  had  a  regular 
hunters'  chat  about  "trails,"  "whistles,"  "signs," 
"  ranges,"  with  arguments  as  to  the  killing 
power  o^  various  guns ;  until  finally,  as  night 
was  closing,  Wyatt  and  I  prospected  the  coun- 
try on  foot  a  little  in  order  to  map  out  a  plan 
of  action  for  the  morrow. 

We  found  lots  of  sheep-tracks  along  the 
precipices,  and  down  in  the  timber  we  came 
across  the  half-buried  carcass  of  an  elk  that  our 
new  acquaintances  had  killed  and  skinned  only 


r^w^yrTTTp^TTT^' 


LOST  IN  THE  HOODOO  MOUNTAINS. 


275 


a  few  days  previous.  All  around  were  bear- 
tracks:  though  we  could  not  exactly  determine 
whether  they  were  made  by  the  straight  claws 
of  a  grizzly,  or  by  the  curved  ones  of  a  cinna- 
mon, the  nails  not  being  distinctly  defined ; 
their  size  was  too  large  for  a  black  bear.  Mak- 
ing up  our  minds  to  watch  next  evening,  we 
sauntered  homewards,  and  soon  all  five,  the 
old  hunters  joining  in,  sat  round  the  blazing 
camp-fire ;  and  for  upwards  of  an  hour  I  lis- 
tened to  hairbreadth  escapes  and  tales  of  In- 
dian fights  among  the  Black  Hills. 

Before  turning  in,  I  took  a  look  at  the  beau- 
tiful reflection  of  the  moon  on  the  snow-moun- 
tains ;  and  then,  as  the  night  was  cold,  all  three 
of  us  got  under  the  tent.  But  presently  Mur- 
ray began  to  snore  fearfully,  and  soon  rolled 
himself  up  outside,  which  he  always  has  pro- 
fessed to  like  much  better  than  the  close  at- 
mosphere of  a  tent. 

30//^.  —  Started  on  horseback  with  Wyatt,  at 
dawn,  for  one  of  the  snowy  ridges  that  we  saw 
towards  the  westward  the  evening  before  ;  it 
having  every  appearance  of  being  good  "  sheep- 
ground."  After  riding  a  couple  of  miles,  we 
dismounted  and  tethered ;  and  with  rifles  in 
hand  we  cautiously  made  a  detour,  keeping  the 
wind  in  our  faces,  and  began  to  encounter  tracks 
at  every  step,  some  bearing  the  appearance  of 


111  rill 


2^6 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


being  only  an  hour  old.  Soon  we  came  to 
some  "beds"  still  warm  ;  and,  expecting  to  see 
our  game  at  every  step,  we  carefully  crept  up 
some  rocks,  and  then  Inch  by  inch  slowly  raised 
our  heads,  and  looked  down.  Wyatt  was  the 
first  to  smell  game.  Suddenly  crouching  down, 
he  beckoned  to  me  to  follow :  and  both  running 
round,  we  soon  again  slowly  looked  over  the 
ridge,  hardly  dr-ing  to  breathe;  for  there  in 
plain  sight,  a  hundred  and  twenty  yards  down 
the  cliff,  v/as  a  band  of  seventeen  mountain- 
sheep,  some  lying  down,  others  scratching 
themselves  against  some  juniper-bushes,  while 
one  old  doe  kept  watch  as  se  itinel.  We  knew 
they  had  not  scented  us;  but  they  evidently  were 
beginning  to  get  uneasy,  so  I  began  to  prepare 
for  a  shot. 

Wyatt  pointed  out  the  only  ram  of  the  outfit, 
a  young  two-year-old  fellow,  —  the  rest  being 
old  does  and  fawns,  —  who  seemed,  for  some 
reason,  not  over-anxious  to  come  from  behind 
the  bushes  against  which  he  was  polishing  his 
horns.  Finally  he  made  up  his  mind,  and  came 
in  full  sight :  so  quickly  raising,  I  took  steady 
aim,  and  fired,  letting  him  have  it  rather  far 
back,  the  ball  ranging  forward.  The  whole 
herd,  for  a  moment,  seemed  rather  disconcerted ; 
then  wheeling,  dashed  down  the  cliff.  Wyatt 
took  a  hurried  shot ;  and  I  had  another  try  at  a 


'      '!:\, 


LOST  IN  THE  HOODOO  MOUNTAINS. 


277 


fawn  who  ran  broadside,  affording  me  a  pretty 
chance  behind  the  shoulders.  We  then  ran 
around,  and  got  a  couple  more  shots  at  four 
hundred  yards'  range ;  but,  owing  to  want  of 
calculation,  the  balls  fell  short,  plainly  plough- 
ing up  the  ground. 

We  had  not  waited  to  observe  the  effect  of 
our  first  fire,  all  vanishing  over  the  cliffs ;  so 
that  now  we  slowly  returned,  half  in  doubt  as  to 
what  would  be  our  success. 

All  fears  were  soon  dispelled  ;  for,  on  scaling 
down  sixty  yards  from  where  they  had  been 
standing,  we  found  both  the  ram  and  fawn  stone 
dead,  lying  but  a  few  feet  from  one  another. 
Taking  off  the  head  and  horns,  and  cutting  a 
quarter  for  camp,  we  struggled  up  again,  the 
rarefied  atmosphere  making  us  halt  for  breath 
every  few  yards.  Coming  up  with  the  horses, 
»ve  packed  the  meat  and  horns  behind  "  Old 
Pard,"  and  soon  reached  home,  quite  well  pleased 
with  our  morning's  work. 

The  skinning  process  was  well  done  by  Wyatt, 
both  the  jawbones  saved,  and  the  meat  picked 
out ;  and  soon,  after  a  good  salting,  the  hide 
was  propped  up  to  dry,  —  all  these  precautions 
having  to  be  taken  to  insure  a  safe  delivery  into 
the  taxidermist's  hands. 

Suddenly  black  thunder-clouds  rolled  over  us, 
followed  by  rain,  sleet,  and  hail.     Quickly  gath- 


'  ■  1:, 


'^.'^7^'rA\y^ :'^ : .r^  ■  rif:" 


278 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


ering  the  valuables  into  our  tent,  huddled  to- 
gether, we  waited  patiently  for  the  storm  to 
pass.  At  this  altitude  of  ten  thousand  feet, 
the  old  mountain  tops  resound  with  peals  of 
thunder,  re-echoed  from  peak  to  peak.  The 
sun  burst  forth  again  at  four  p.m.,  and  one  hard- 
ly realizes  th;  t  a  raging  storm  has  just  passed 
over. 

Starting  off  for  the  elk-carcass,  we  found  a 
bear's  tracks,  showing  four  .lifferent  journeys 
from  his  cave  somewhere  down  the  ravine. 
Finding  a  screen  of  spruce  boughs,  at  a  dis- 
tance of  some  fifty  yards,  we  waited. 

As  the  sun  went  down,  we  were  occasionally 
startled  by  a  warning  note  of  approaching  game 
in  the  shape  of  a  chipmonk's  squeal,  or  the 
chattering  of  a  red  squirrel.  Once  a  large  black 
eagle  wheeled  round,  alighted,  and  began  to 
stalk  up  to  the  meat:  but,  catching  sight  of  us, 
quickly  soared  away.  The  sun  went  down, 
darkness  set  in,  and  we  could  just  see  the  elk's 
outline.  At  last  the  air  grew  very  cold;  and, 
being  unable  to  take  sight,  we  started  for  camp. 

Next  morning  we  discovered  that  the  bear 
had  come  for  his  evening  meal,  but,  scenting  us, 
had  circled  round  oehind;  his  huge  tracks  being 
only  a  few  yards  distant  in  our  rear.  Luckily 
he  was  not  famished,  or  else  a  "  charge  "  would 
have  been  inevitable.     As  it  was,  he  must  have 


LOST  IN   THE  HOODOO   MOUNTAINS. 


2/9 


found  another  carcass,  or  else  this  one  was  too 
far  gone  ;  for  he  never  came  again. 

Aug.  31.  —  After  riding  our  horses  down  and 
up  some  deep  gulches  and  canons  to  a  point 
some  six  miles  distant,  we  dismounted,  in  the 
hope  of  scaling  the  main  peaks  of  the  Hoodoo 
Mountains.  Drizzling  rain  set  in,  which,  added 
to  the  hard  climbing,  made  this  the  hardest  day 
of  all.  We  started  on  the  trail  of  three  docs, 
after  following  which  for  a  mile  or  so,  a  young 
buck  joined  the  trail ;  and,  on  pushing  on  still 
farther,  we  entirely  lost  track  of  the  band  amidst 
the  rock-work.  Rejoining  the  cayuses,  we  soon 
reached  the  tent,  both  empty  handed  and  well 
worn  out. 

At  eleven  p.m.  one  of  the  most  terrific  thun- 
der-storms set  in  that  even  Wyatt  had  ever  wit- 
nessed. Only  up  at  this  great  height  can  one 
realize  the  fearful  grandeur  of  the  lightning : 
peal  upon  peal  of  thunder  reverberated  among 
the  rugged  mountain  tops.  Sheets  of  rain  fell, 
wetting  the  contents  of  my  tent  through  and 
through ;  the  canvas  not  being  proof  against  the 
drenching  storm.  Being  under  a  tall  pine-tree, 
and  thus  being  protected  somewhat  from  the 
wind,  the  tent-pegs  remained  fast ;  but  I  had 
some  fears  as  to  lightning,  since  several  streaks 
had  descended  into  the  ground  only  a  few  yards 
■off,  thunder  following  instantaneously. 


2S0 


/"/I'OJ/  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


Sept.  I.  —  Morning  found  us  wet  and  discon- 
solate. Fire  could  hardly  be  started.  Soon  the 
sun  shone  out,  which  quickly  dispelled  our  mis- 
ery. Starting  about  ten  a.m.,  we  took  another 
range,  and  found  ourselves  following  along  the 
side  of  a  deep  canon.  Seeing  plenty  of  sheep- 
signs,  we  cautiously  moved  over  the  rocks,  hard- 
ly even  whispering. 

Though  crawling  along  vvith  the  greatest  cir- 
cumspection, I  happened  to  loosen  a  little  stone. 
While  watching  it  roll  down,  inwardly  cursing 
my  carelessness,  as  the  little  supposed  mischief- 
maker  passed  a  large  bowlder,  it  turned  into  a 
blessing  in  disguise ;  for  out  started,  not  sixty 
yards  away,  a  fine  three-year-old  ram  with  beau- 
tifully curved  horns,  both  points  being  perfect. 
Instantly  raising  my  rifle,  making  allowance  for 
elevation,  I  fired;  the  ball  entering,  and  passing 
through  rather  too  far,  behind  the  shoulders. 
Rushing  forward,  for  fear  of  losing  sight  of 
him  among  the  rocks,  it  took  four  more  balls 
to  actually  bring  him  down ;  three  passing 
through  his  side,  entirely  too  far  back,  and  the 
last  one  breaking  his  hind-leg. 

The  males  of  the  larger  animals  of  Wyoming,, 
and  throughout  the  West  in  general,  are  very 
hard  killing,  unless  hit  exactly  right.  At  the 
beginning  of  the  rutting  season,  the  bull  elk, 
covered  as  he  is  then  with  fat,  measuring  nearly- 


LOST  IN  THE  HOODOO  MOUNTAINS. 


281 


everywhere  four  inches  in  thickness,  will  carry 
off  nearly  as  much  lead  as  a  rhinoceros ;  and  he 
is  fully  as  long-lived  as  a  bear. 

Both  these  ram's  horns  were  perfect ;  and  as 
they  now  cast  their  shadow  over  my  writing- 
desk,  many  memories  of  hunting-days  are  pleas- 
antly recalled,  and  I  can  once  more  fancy  myself 
scaling  some  peak  in  the  hope  of  finding  "  big- 
horn." 

Returning,  we  built  a  roaring  fire,  and  were 
soon  drinking  our  coffee  by  its  blaze. 

Sept.  2.  —  To-day,  taking  another  route  to 
the  north-west,  we  climbed  some  strange!)'  chis- 
elled peaks,  from  whose  summits  we  had  beauti- 
ful distant  views.  Later  we  followed  an  old  ram's 
track  for  miles  :  at  every  moment  the  increasing 
freshness  of  the  print  gave  us  every  hope  of 
soon  coming  up  with  him;  but,  after  several 
hours  o''  unsuccessful  stalkino-  we  were  forced 
to  return.  Feeling  quite  satisfied  with  our 
two  rams  in  four  days,  we  made  up  our  minds 
to  strike  camp  next  morning,  returning  to  lower 
regions  in  search  of  elk. 

All  the  elk-tracks  were  rather  old,  most  of 
them  pointing  westward  ;  and  the  old  hunters 
assured  us  that  they  had  left  the  range  where 
we  were,  and  without  doubt  were  seeking 
winter-quarters  below.  Our  trapper  friends 
had  killed  only  three  elks  in  one  week  ;   which, 


».   ,.|||.v' 


1     ! 


282 


FKOM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


in 


considering  the  undisturbed  condition  of  this 
region,  was  but  poor  luck. 

It  had  not  been  our  custom  to  fire  at  small 
game  when  in  a  hunting-country;  but,  as  we  had 
decided  upon  new  quarters,  we  could  not  resist 
potting  for  supper  a  couple  of  young  jack- 
rabbits  and  a  grouse. 

Sept.  3.  —  "All  set"  being  said,  we  wended 
our  way  westward  ;  and,  after  descending  some 
eight  miles  or  so,  we  camped  under  a  clump  of 
tall  firs,  on  a  stream  which  v.  /entually  empties 
into  the  Yellowstone.  After  a  heavy  luncheon 
off  sheep-steaks,  Wyatt  and  I,  after  saddling 
"Old  Reily"  and  "Old  Pard,"  scrambled  up 
the  hill  in  order  to  reach  the  table-land,  the  top 
of  which  we  had  judged  must  be  pretty  flat,  and 
full  of  springs. 

We  encountered  fresh  signs  on  all  sides,  — 
tracks,  beds  in  the  grass  where  the  elks  had  lain 
the  night  previous,  and  quantities  of  young  trees 
whose  tender  bark  was  freshly  lacerated  by  the 
bulls  while  polishing  their  antlers. 

After  making  a  long  circle  on  foot,  we  re- 
joined the  horses,  and  were  quietly  riding 
through  the  timber,  giving  free  rein  to  the  mus- 
tangs, which  nimbly  cleared  the  many  fallen 
logs  which  form  the  greatest  impediment  to 
hunting  game  in  the  "whistling"  season.  At 
this  time  in  the  year  elks  are  generally  moving. 


LOST  IN  T/I^  HOODOO  MOUNTAINS.  283 

and  keep  pretty  well  concealed  amidst  the  dense 
forests  of  Wyoming.  Just  at  this  instant,  when 
we  had  given  up  all  hope  of  hunting  any  more 
before  dark,  "  Old  Pard  "  shied  violently  to  one 
side,  nearly  hurling  Wyatt  against  a  tree.  The 
cause  was  easily  seen  ;  for  not  thirty  yards  off 
a  large  bull  el^  and  two  does  were  standing  in 
the  shade  of  some  trees,  looking  straight  at  us, 
as  if  wondering  at  the  intrusion.  This  was  my 
first  sight  of  this  noble  game,  and  his  imperial 
grandeur  awakened  an  admiration  that  for  a 
moment  made  me  hesitate  to  shoot.  Quickly 
dismounting,  however,  I  sighted  as  well  as  the 
twilight  permitted,  and  fired,  taking  aim,  as  near 
as  I  could  judge,  behind  the  shoulder.  The 
bull  quivered,  staggered,  and  for  an  instant 
seemed  to  hesitate  ;  then  like  lightning  all  three 
wheeled,  and  crashed  through  the  underbrush, 
their  fierce,  mad,  headlong  retreat  over  the 
fallen  timber  being  audible  for  several  minutes. 
Approaching  the  spot,  we  saw  quite  plainly, 
both  by  the  cut  hair  and  tracks,  that  the  bullet 
had  gone  home ;  but  as  it  was  too  dark  to 
follow  in  pursuit,  there  being  much  danger  in 
so  doing  of  our  not  reaching  camp,  we  aban- 
doned all  farther  chase. 

Sept.  4.  —  Wyatt  and  I,  mounting  our  ponies, 
took  a  rather  different  direction,  picketed  the 
horses,  and  had  a   long   day's   tramp.     About 


:: 


t 


284 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


», 


I 


noon  we  were  climbing  over  a  rough  piece  of 
ground,  where  every  other  step  was  across  the 
fallen  trunk  of  some  old  fir,  while  the  pines 
themselves  grew  so  close  that  the  sun's  rays 
could  but  feebly  penetrate. 

Suddenly  a  crackling,  as  of  some  animal 
stealthily  moving  away,  seemed  to  continue  in 
front  of  us ;  and  once,  turning  sharply  around 
while  we  were  balancing  ourselves  on  a  huge 
log,  for  the  first  time  in  my  life  I  saw  the 
"  American  mountain  lion,"  or  puma.  For  one 
instant  we  beheld  a  long,  yellow  animal  on  the 
point  of  leaping  down  from  a  tree :  a  spring, 
something  long  and  yellow  flashed  past  us  ;  and, 
before  we  had  time  to  shoulder  our  guns,  the 
puma  had  vanished  behind  one  of  the  innu- 
merable stumps  which  everywhere  barred  our 
progress. 

Hardly  had  we  advanced  a  hundred  yards 
before  we  heard  the  "whistle"  of  a  bull  elk. 
Now,  those  who  have  never  heard  the  call  of 
the  male  while  running,  let  them  imagine  a 
species  of  whistling  which  commences  rather 
shrilly,  then  becoming  semi-musical,  resembling 
an  aeolian  harp,  finally  ending  with  a  bugle- 
note  ;  the  entire  sound  lasting  three  or  four 
seconds. 

The  season  with  wappiti,  or  elk,  is  Septem- 
ber; during  the  early  part  of  which  the  bulls  are 


LOST  IN  THE   HOODOO  MOUNTAINS. 


!«^5 


very  fat,  their  necks  increasing  in  size  propor- 
tionate to  the  length  of  time  the  animal  has 
been  running.  In  from  three  to  four  weeks  he 
loses  his  flesh,  becomes  very  poor,  and  remains 
so  all  winter  until  the  following  spring. 

With  the  utmost  caution  we  b(](i-an  to  draw 
near  the  spot  frcm  whence  the  so-  nd  pro- 
ceeded, and  had  not  crawled  more  than  sixty 
yard  -  before  we  came  upon  a  magnificent  old 
bull  standing  close  to  a  cow  not  more  than  sev- 
enty yards  off.  Taking  good  aim,  I  took  two 
shots  in  rapid  succession ;  one  piercing  the 
lungs,  and  the  other  entering  the  region  near 
the  heart.  His  mate  seemed  loath  to  leave, 
and,  even  after  the  shooting,  trotted  once  or 
twice  around  him.  At  last  they  both  broke 
away,  and  I  had  time  to  put  in  a  couple  more 
shots  while  running. 

Hastening  up,  we  soon  saw  splashes  of  lung- 
blood  ;  so,  giving  him  plenty  of  time  to  stiffen, 
we  trailed,  and  after  a  few  moments  came  upon 
the  ivappiti  lying  on  the  ground,  swaying  his 
splendid  horns  from  side  to  side  in  the  agonies 
of  death.  As  he  saw  us  approach,  his  eyes 
flashed,  and  he  start  d  to  his  feet  once  more, 
lowered  his  head,  a.id  for  one  moment  we  ex- 
pected a  charge :  so  taking  good  aim,  I  put  a 
bullet  through  his  heart ;  and  hi,  sank  to  earth, 
dead. 


:^ 


m 


.H 


I 


286 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO   ALASKA. 


.hi. 


I  ■{! 


lA- 


This  was  my  first  elk ;  and  as  I  looked  on 
this  monarch  of  the  woods  as  he  lay  stretched 
out  to  his  full  size,  all  my  previous  deer-speci- 
mens compared  with  this  giant  seemed  infini- 
tesimal. His  horns  spread  some  four  feet,  which 
is  unusaally  wide;  the  six  points  of  both  sides 
being  perfect.     They  now  adorn  our  hall. 

The  trailing  of  elk  at  this  time  of  year,  unless 
shot  through  the  lungs,  is  very  difificult,  owing 
to  the  immense  quantity  of  fat  which  seems  to 
obstruct  the  flow  of  blood,  and  prevent  it  gush- 
ing out. 

After  skinning  the  head,  and  taking  off  the 
horns,  we  cut  off  the  tenderloin  and  sirloin  and 
tongue,  packing  them  up  for  safe-keeping ;  and, 
as  we  were  out  of  bacon,  we  took  the  tallow 
also,  covered  as  it  was  with  the  caul.  Return- 
ing to  camp,  we  delighted  Murray  with  the  pros- 
pect of  plenty  of  meat,  and  got  every  thing 
prepared  for  packing  it  next  day. 

Sept.  5.  —  Leading  all  three  of  the  pack- 
horses  to  where  we  left  the  antlers,  we  sawed 
the  skull  and  horns  in  two,  salted  the  head, 
skinned  and  packed  sixty  pounds  of  meat,  and 
again  started  on  a  hunt.  Once  more  we  caught 
a  glimpse,  for  one  instant,  of  a  puma :  but 
their  cat-like  movements  soon  enable  them  to 
creep  out  of  sight ;  and  unless  hunted  with  dogs, 
and  regularly  treed,  the  chance  of  ever  killing 


.r-.-^y   -i^'-y  ^-vT.'^T^-'F-.''^  '      •  r.lT^- 


f^  ;>.TT  T~TV  -:■ 


ZO^-T"  /^  THE  HOODOO  MOUNTAINS. 


287 


one  is  very  small.  Soon  after  this,  in  a  little 
open,  we  came  suddenly  upon  a  cow  and  calf ; 
but  as  we  had  plenty  of  fresh  meat  we  let  them 
go,  and  returned  to  camp. 

Our  luxuries  had  become  pretty  low.;  sugar, 
coffee,  flour,  and  salt  being  nearly  all  that  re- 
mained of  our  store. 

Sept.  6.  —  Went  out  next  day ;  heard  an  elk 
whistle  several  times,  but  we  were  unable  to 
get  near  him.  Getting  back  to  camp,  we  found 
our  old  friends,  the  hunters,  had  come  down 
to  lower  quarters  in  the  hopes  of  finding  more 
game. 

By  the  merest  accident  T  secured  the  largest 
pair  of  "big-horns"  that  had  been  seen.  The 
old  ram  was  seen  towards  evening,  while  but- 
ting with  another,  on  the  very  ridge  I  had  left 
the  night  before  ;  and  one  of  the  hunters  shot 
him.  1  paid  him  for  his  luck,  and  took  the 
horn  5,  which  I  now  have,  together  with  those 
I  shot  myself.  They  measure  sixteen  inches  in 
circumference,  and  thirty-seven  and  a  half  inches 
in  length  of  curve.  All  the  hunters  concurred 
in  the  opinion  that  they  were  the  largest  which 
they  had  ever  seen. 

We  decided  to  start  the  next  morning,  in  the 
hope  of  finding  bear  among  the  berry-patches 
around  Slough  Creek. 

Sept.  7.  —  Murray  had  such  a  sick-headache 


288 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


this  morning,  that  we  concluded  to  wait  one 
more  day :  so,  leaving  Wyatt  to  take  care  of  the 
camp,  I  went  with  one  of  the  hunters  in  search 
of  any  thing  in  the  shape  of  game.  A  thunder- 
storm com.ing  on,  I  was  surprised  to  see  my 
companion  always  take  shelter  under  a  small 
tree  in  preference  to  a  large  one ;  and  was 
struck  by  his  telling  me,  that,  during  his  six 
years  roughing  it  among  the  mountains,  he  had 
never  seen  lightning  fall  on  small  trees,  the 
larger  ones  nearly  always  havinp  a  tendency  to 
serve  as  lightning-rods. 

While  walking  through  a  dense  growth  of 
small  firs,  a  cow  elk  ran  full  tilt  across  our  path ; 
and  as  my  companion  wanted  the  meat  and  hide, 
I  brought  her  down  in  her  tracks  stone  dead, 
making  a  hmg  shot. 

Sept.  8.  —  At  six  a.m.,  the  camp  was  already 
bustling  with  the  work  of  packing  up.  We  had 
plenty  of  fresh  meat,  including  the  loin,  sirloin, 
nnd  plenty  of  tallow  from  the  caul  to  take  the 
place  of  bacon,  which  had  given  out. 

As  we  were  riding  off,  a  couple  of  **  prospect- 
ors," whose  camp-fire  we  had  seen  near  by  the 
night  before,  gave  me  some  fine  specimens  of 
iron-pyrites.  Old  miners  often  call  these  bril- 
liant, though  worthless,  minerals,  "tenderfoot 
specimens."  These  good-hea''ted  fellows  hav- 
ing no  fresh  meat,  we  left  them  some  ribs  of  elk. 


(» 


LOST  IN  THE  HOODOO  MOUNTAINS. 


289 


Riding  on  ahead  with  "Old  Reilv,"  I  got  over 
the  twenty-five  miles  which  separated  us  from 
the  Jump  cabin  quite  easily,  the  others  soon 
following. 

I  killed  some  grouse  on  the  w^ay;  and  we  had 
a  delicious  mess  of  broiled  birds  for  dinner, 
which,  out  here  in  the  invigorating  air,  needed 
no  sauce  or  silver  dishes  as  an  appetizer. 

Sept.  9.  —  After  travelling  northward  for  four 
hours,  we  reached  Slough  Creek.  I  thought, 
that,  as  the  bears  had  come  down  from  the 
mountains  after  berries,  we  might  try  our 
chances  for  a  couple  of  days  toward  the  head 
of  the  stream  before  returning  home.  An  un- 
foreseen circumstance,  however,  which  hap- 
pened three  days  later,  blew  my  plans  to  the 
winds;  and  the  castles  which  my  imagination 
had  pictured  soon  vanished. 

While  we  were  passing  over  the  rolling  coun- 
try, wt:  just  caught  sight  of  some  forty  antelope 
running  up  a  steep  grade,  and  soon  disappear- 
ing from  view,  their  white  flanks  glistening  in 
the  sunlight. 

We  encamped  on  Slough  Creek,  which  I  shall 
always  remember  as  the  only  stream  that  I  ever 
tried  in  which  fish  actually  were  so  plentiful  that 
they  rose  the  instant  the  cast  was  made.  In 
thirty  minutes  I  landed  six  trout,  weighing  col- 
lectively nine  pounds;  one,  reaching  while  fresh 


if;  If 


ft: 


\  ' ' ' 

m 


r^!l 


igo 


FROM  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


*  '. 


W  j 


two  and  a  half  pounds,  affording  play  for  many 
minutes. 

Starting  at  three  p.m.,  we  made  a  detour  of 
some  two  miles,  in  order  to  get  where  we 
imagined  the  antelope  must  be.  As  we  cau- 
tiously mounted  the  crest  of  a  little  hill,  we 
caught  sight  of  the  band,  who,  at  the  signal  of 
danger  from  an  old  doe  standing  sentin'^1  apart 
from  the  rest,  galloped  off  on  the  run.  Casting 
our  eyes  over  the  herd,  we  could  see  no  bucks, 
though  we  could  not  refrain  from  taking  a  few 
parting  shots  at  their  fast-receding  heels ;  our 
volley  producing  no  result  beyond  touching  one 
slightly  on  the  back,  enough  to  make  the  hair 

Sept.  lo.  — This  morning,  after  proceeding  a 
few  miles  farther,  we  reached  a  large  basin,  con- 
taining the  heads  of  streams,  bogs,  and  saw- 
grass,  surrounded  by  high  hills.  After  catching 
a  good  mess  of  trout,  we  took  a  good  look  at 
the  ground,  and  found  some  freshly  made  black- 
tail  tracks  and  some  pretty  fresh  bear-signs. 

Sept.  II. — As  it  was  necessary  to  get  a  bait 
for  bears  in  the  shape  of  the  carcass  of  some 
animal,  Wyatt  started  out  early  on  "  White 
Stocking,"  leaving  us  to  have  a  good  day's  fish- 
ing. Going  up  the  stream,  and  casting  my  tlies 
at  intervals  into  the  many  deep  holes  which 
abounded,  I  finally  succeeded  in  getting  a  string 


^01^ 


LOST  IN  THE   HOODOO   MOUNTAIiVS. 


291 


•weighing  thirteen  pounds.  The  last  was  a  mon- 
ster. I  had  watched  him  through  the  clear 
water,  gliding  under  a  large  half-submerged 
rock  at  the  base  of  a  riffle,  and,  seizing  my 
opportunity,  made  my  cast,  using  a  large  bright 
scarlet  ibis  fly.  Rising  instantly,  he  made  his 
rush;  and,  before  I  had  an  opportunity  to  let 
out  sufficient  line,  he  snapped  in  two  my  dearly 
prized  ten-ounce  rod.  Having  still  hold  of  the 
line,  I  played  with  him  for  a  couple  of  minutes ; 
and  after  some  difficulty,  by  placing  my  thumb 
and  forefinger  under  his  gills,  lifted  and  landed 
him  in  safety.  The  scales  just  showed  a  weight 
of  three  pounds,  which,  for  a  speckled  brcok- 
trout,  was  the  largest  catch  I  have  ever  made. 

That  evening,  on  returning,  we  saw  an  outfit 
of  twenty-three  horses  winding  down  the  moun- 
tain side ;  on  nearer  approach,  I  recognized  a 
few  old  acquaintances,  who  were  escorting  a 
large  hunting-party  of  Eastern  men  on  their 
return  homewards.  In  return  for  some  fresh 
fish,  we  received  some  blacktail-meat,  an  offer- 
ing most  needed,  as  our  store  was  nearly  gone. 

After  supper  we  all  exchanged  courtesies 
round  the  camp-fire.  Their  luck  had  been 
quite  fair.  Five  miles  to  the  eastward  they  ran 
upon  a  heard  of  buffaloes  numbering  abouc  a  hun- 
dred and  eighty,  out  of  which  they  killed  seven. 
With   the  exception  of  one  blacktail    and  one 


H 


m 


li 


:  I, 


292 


2^K0nf  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO   ALASKA. 


:    ■: 


•COW  elk,  this  had  been  their  only  sport ;  and 
some  of  them  grumbled  slightly  at  the  lack  of 
game,  not  having  even  seen  a  big-horn,  of  which 
they  had  heard  so  much.  Being  on  the  way 
home,  they  intended  to  start  next  morning  for 
the  Mammoth  Hot  Springs.  Two  of  the  men 
and  four  packs  were  going  the  next  day  back  to 
the  carcasses,  near  which  seven  quarters  were 
hanging  from  the  limbs  of  trees,  covered  over 
with  bags  to  prevent  fly-blows. 

The  packers  invited  me  to  accompany  them ; 
saying  that  they  would  point  out  the  location,  in 
order  that  we  might  pitch  camp  near  by  and 
watch  the  carcasses,  which  were  baits  for  the 
bears  which  we  were  seeking. 

Sept.  12.  —  About  seven  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing Wyatt  came  back,  having  killed  his  elk,  and, 
not  being  able  to  return  that  day,  passed  the 
night  by  a  log-fire. 

Giving  orders  to  strike  camp  and  follow  on 
the  trail  up  to  the  baits,  I  galloped  off  with  the 
packers  up  the  trail  previously  made  by  the 
twenty-three  horses.  The  packers  and  I  in- 
tended, when  the  seven  quarters  of  buffalo -meat 
had  been  placed  on  the  horses,  to  return  the 
same  way,  and  meet  my  own  men  coming  up, 
thus  being  able  to  guide  them  back  to  where 
the  remaining  meat  was  lying,  and  let  the 
packers  return  homewards,  joining  the  rest  of 


LOST  IN   THE   HOODOO   MOUNTAINS. 


293 


their  party  somewhere  near  the  Mammoth  Hot 
Springs.  As  we  reached  an  elevation,  I  waved 
my  hand  back  to  the  still  smoking  fire  of  my 
encampment,  about  which  I  could  see  Wyatt 
and  Murray  busily  engaged  in  getting  ready  to 
start. 

This  was  the  last  we  ever  saw  of  one  another 
during  this  expedition  ! 

The  sun  was  warm  and  the  day  perfect,  no 
omen  warning  us  of  imminent  danger.  After 
climbing  and  circling  several  of  the  mountains, 
the  ascent  being  exceedingly  steep,  repeated 
halts  were  required  to  ease  the  horses ;  our 
course  occasionally  bringing  us  through  dense 
forests  of  firs,  amonpf  which  the  trail  was  so 
faint  that  I  several  times  anxiously  inquired  of 
the  packers  whether  there  was  any  danger  of 
my  men  missing  their  way,  an  idea  which  they 
scoffed  at  as  an  impossibility  foi"  cld  trappers. 

Leading  our  horses  down  a  little  caiion,  we 
arrived  at  their  old  encampment  on  a  running 
stream ;  a  huge  fir  near  by  presenting  a  curious 
appearance  with  its  Christmas-tree  load  of  buf- 
lalo  horns,  quarters,  and  hides  hanging  from  the 
limbs.  Riding  a  few  hundred  yards  farther,  we 
breasted  the  crest  of  a  hill;  and  far  off  on  a 
plain,  some  six  miles  distant,  the  men  pointed 
out  the  actual  spot  where  the  carcasses  lay, 
showinof  me  certain  landmarks  as  ofuides  to  the 
place. 


m 


^: 


%i    iyn 


!    " 


I 


fif 


i;     1 


294 


F/^OM  FTFTH  AVENUh    TO  ALASKA. 


■  Returning,  and  again  expressing  some  fear  as 
to  my  men  finding  the  trail,  they  replied  that 
there  was  not  the  slightest  danger :  but,  if  I  still 
was  troubled,  there  would  be  no  harm  in  riding 
on  ahead  and  meeting  them ;  saying  that  when 
they  had  finished  packing  the  meat  they  would 
rejoin  me,  either  on  my  way  back  with  my  own 
men,  or  would  overtake  me  before  I  reached 
them. 

Going  slowly  over  the  back  track,  I  shot  a 
pheasant,  hoping  that  the  report  would  be  an 
additional  guide,  and  kept  on. 

Only  those  acquainted  with  the  mountains  of 
the  West  can  realize  what  followed. 

The  sky  suddenly  became  black.  Hail,  fol- 
lowed by  snow,  descended  in  terrific  sheets. 
The  trails  almost  immediately  became  obliter- 
ated ;  and  forthwith  I  found  myself  alone  on  a 
wild  mountain  top,  forty  miles  away  from  the 
Mammoth  Hot  Springs  Hotel,  with  no  idea  how 
to  return  or  proceed ;  added  to  the  discomfiture,, 
that,  owing  to  the  heat,  I  had  left  my  leather 
hunting-coat  at  the  last  camp,  it  being  the  only 
time  that  I  had  neglected  to  fasten  it  to  my 
saddle-bow.  In  a  few  minutes  my  horse,  "Old 
Reily,"  and  I  were  enveloped  in  a  mantle  of 
snow. 

Being  high  up,  and  landmarks  in  the  shape 
of  mountains  being  still  visible,  I  recalled  the 


LOST  IN  THE  HOODOO  MOUNTAINS. 


295 


-situation  of  the  old  camp,  and  kept  on,  hoping 
that  my  own  men,  seeing  the  state  of  things,  had 
also  gone  back.  Hungry,  tired,  and  cold,  mount- 
ed on  a  jaded  horse  which  scarcely  moved  along, 
I  finally  reached  the  old  camp;  only  to  find  it 
deserted,  the  fire  gone  out,  not  a  morsel  of  food 
left,  and  only  the  three  tent-poles  lying  on  the 
ground  to  mark  where  my  last  night's  house 
had  stood. 

Turning  about,  "Old  Reily"  again  began  the 
dangerous  climb ;  my  only  hope  now  consist- 
ing in  meeting  on  the  hill  the  packers  coming 
down  ;  and  if  that  was  unsuccessful,  at  all  events, 
getting  back  to  the  new  camp,  which  I  con- 
cluded my  men  must  have  reached  by  some 
other  route,  at  which  perhaps  the  packers,  see- 
ing the  driving  snow-storm,  would  consider  it 
best  to  stay  for  the  night,  instead  of  venturing 
down. 

Aided  by  the  compass  in  discovering  direc- 
tions, hour  after  hour  I  urged  "Old  Reily"  on; 
often  having  to  dismount  and  walk,  thereby 
keeping  up  circulation,  and  aiding  the  poor 
brute  up  steep  places.  Once  we  got  out  of  our 
reckoning,  only  to  mire  in  a  bog,  and  finally 
struggle  out  again. 

The  snow  now  began  to  fall  thicker,  and  even 
the  hazy  outlines  of  the  distant  mountains  faded 
away.     Being  ou  top  of  a  bald  ridge,  several 


3Srff 


i 


■m 


296 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUF:    TO  ALASKA. 


times  I  fruitlessly  tried  to  find  the  way  down 
into  the  ravine  where  the  new  camp  lay. 

At  last  we  drew  near ;  and  when  only  two 
hundred  yards  off  from  where  I  knew  the  place 
lay,  though  the  heavily  draped  firs  concealed  its 
view,  I  fired  two  shots,  hoping  to  instantly  hear 
an  answer.  No  response:  not  a  sound,  save  the 
rustling  of  the  trees,  the  soft  fall  of  ev^r- 
increasing  flakes,  the  almost  noiseless  shuffle  of 
the  horse's  hoofs  over  the  powdery  snow,  and 
the  wind  howling  among  the  craggy  heights, 
which  mockingly  re-echoed  my  appeal. 

A  few  seconds  passed  by;  and  now  I  knew 
myself  to  be  within  fifty  yards  of  where  I  hoped 
to  find  friends,  fire,  and  wood.  Again  I  fired, 
hoping  this  time  to  arouse  the  camp.  On  the 
instant,  as  the  report  reverberated  amongst  the 
hills,  the  fierce  growl  of  a  bear  startled  me  to 
the  full  consciousness  of  my  loneliness  ;  and  the 
crackling  and  breaking  of  the  brush  told  that 
Bruin,  having  tracked  the  fresh  meat,  and  being 
discovered  on  the  point  of  devouring  portions 
of  one  of  the  quarters  left  for  me,  was  in  full 
retreat. 

As  the  camp  broke  to  view,  a  red  fox  ran 
across  the  snow,  and  a  few  Fremont-camp  birds 
reluctantly  fluttered  away.  And  thus,  with  night 
near  at  hand,  I  found  myself  lost  among  the 
mountains  of  Wyoming,  twenty  miles  from  any 


LOST  IN  THE  HOODOO  MOUNTAINS. 


297 


human  habitation,  and  that  a  hut,  the  direction 
of  which  I  knew  lay  somewhere  across  the  ridges 
toward  the  north-west. 

Knowing  that  my  only  hope  of  help  lay  in 
reaching  the  old  camp,  where  some  of  the  men 
might  possibly  be,  I  made  the  effort. 

The  old  camp  was  five  miles  distant.  The 
wa^,  not  easy  to  follow  even  when  the  sun 
shone,  was  now  rendered  tenfold  more  difficult 
by  reason  of  the  falling  darkness. 

Shaking  the  snow  off  my  hunting-coat,  which 
lay  almost  hidden  by  the  recent  fall,  I  cut  a 
piece  of  raw  meat  from  the  hanging  quarter,  and 
placed  it  in  my  pocket,  and  wrote  these  words 
on  a  board,  which  I  placed  conspicuously  against 
the  trunk  of  the  tree  :  — 

In  case  you  find  this  camp,  one  of  you  return 
immediately  to  the  old  camp,  which  I  shall  leave  to- 
morrow in  case  no  help  arrives,  and  strike  out  for 
the  Mammoth  Hot  Springs  Hotel,  which  I  believe  is 
forty  miles  north-west  from  this  spot.  Have  only 
three  matches,  which  I  fear  are  wet  through,  and  no 
food  except  raw  flesh.  E.  P. 

Sept.  12,  5  o'clock. 

Just  at  this  crisis,  I  found  a  little  piece  of 
bread  which  had  been  left  behind,  lying  in  the 
snow  near  a  little  sapling,  —  about  enough  for 
three  or  four  bites.     Turning  the  weighty  mat- 


T;:  ^ 

W 

i::  :H 

q 

If 

1 

'  L ' 

1^,  y 

t      l! 


) 


~-f  ' 

m  h 


..c     ) 


298 


F/?OAf  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


ter  over  in  my  mind,  whether  I  should  eat  it 
now  or  wait  till  morning,  I  concluded  to  wait. 

Poor  old  one-eyed  Reily  standing  by  me,  his 
saddle  already  blanketed  with  snow,  and  his 
head  bowed  down  to  the  ground,  looked  the 
picture  of  despair.  As  I  once  more  began  to 
lead  the  poor  beast  up  the  side  of  the  canon  to 
get  to  the  bald  crest  where  I  might  get  the  lay 
of  the  land,  the  poor  old  fellow  plainly  showed 
that  he  was  on  his  last  legs :  his  knees  shook, 
and  he  seemed  at  every  step  on  the  point  of 
lying  down.  Realizing  that  every  thing  de- 
pended on  reaching  the  old  camp,  where  I  sup- 
posed that  some  one  of  the  four  men  must  have 
returned,  I  drew  the  crust  from  my  pocket,  and, 
hoMing  it  front  of  his  nose,  tantalized  him  until 
we  reached  the  top,  Arriving  there,  I  had  not 
the  heart  to  deprive  hi'n  •  so  dividing  the  small 
piece  with  him,  once  more  we  attempted  the 
return. 

This  bald  crest  had  only  two  points  of  descent 
possible  for  a  horse,  —  one  the  little  trail  by 
which  I  had  just  reached  the  summit,  and 
secondly  a  descent  on  its  other  slope. 

The  snowflakes  at  this  moment  became  thicker 
than  ever.  Round  and  round  we  wheeled.  My 
hands  became  nearly  too  numb  to  guide  the 
horse,  and  it  seemed  as  if  we  should  never 
reach  the  place  of  descent.     We  could  hardly 


LOST  IN  THE  HOODOO  MOUNTAINS. 


299 


eat  it 
fait, 
le,  his 
id   his 
:d    the 
Tan  to 
ion  to 
;he  lay 
ihowed 
shook, 
Dint  of 
ig   de- 
:  I  sup- 
st  have 
et,  and, 
m  until 
lad  not 
e  small 
;ed   the 

descent 
trail  by 
lit,    and 

I  thicker 
id.  My 
lide  the 
d  never 
i  hardly 


see  twenty  feet  ahead  ;  all  sides  looked  perpen- 
dicular ;  and,  although  up  at  this  great  altitude, 
not  a  glimpse  could  I  catch  of  the  surrounding 
country.  The  bare  ridge  was  about  one  mile 
.in  circumference,  and  my  former  horse's-tracks 
had  long  ago  Seen  obliterated.  At  last  I  rec- 
ognized a  curiously  twisted  fir,  and  saw  that  I 
had  been  merely  making  a  circle. 

In  despair,  knowing  that  at  this  altitude  with- 
out fire  the  morning  would  find  me  frozen, 
strangely  there  came  to  my  mind  these  words  of 
Tennyson, — 

"  More  things  are  wrought  by  prayer 
Than  this  world  dreams  of ;  " 

and  I  earnestly  prayed  that  for  one  moment  the 
storm  might  abate,  and  allow  me  a  glimpse  of 
where  I  was. 

Hardly  had  I  uttered  the  words,  when  one  of 
the  most  striking  incidents  of  my  life  took  place. 
It  may  have  been  a  mere  coincidence ;  but  I  was 
so  impressed  with  the  occurrence,  that  I  could 
but  feel  that  the  act  which  the  memory  of  Ten- 
nyson's lines  prompted  had  something  to  do 
with  the  phenomenon  which  so  quickly  followed. 
Suddenly  the  wind  lulled ;  the  snow  ceased  fall- 
ing; the  heavy  shrouds  of  mist  which  hung  over 
the  valley  and  mountain  tops  lifted  ;  and  low  in 
the  west  the  declining  sun,  having  but  brief  time 


9 


i::^ 

i  '^   Mr 

i  1'   TO. 

"ii 

; .  :    i  >    ,-,j 

m 

■  l^ 

1.. '  '  .-i 

'.■.:!  ^-:1 

■    ■ !  •fr^H 

''■  M   t-'Z 

fit  .V"- 

|:i'|!  i'i'.  A 

!'   1  iv;.'' 

{\'im 

,  i . 

wr 

'     i:^     ' 

T ', .  J 

1  '-:  1 

*"'*• 

!,(■',!■ 

i-^l^ 

tf.i 

mww 


li  :! 

f'l    M 


rn 


■ 


U       •  ■!- 


i!  ■»  ■■„'»,<»'! 


!  ■('!.'' 


i     r,-      I 


300 


FA'OAf  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


of  light,  shone  brightly.  The  huge  lone  ranges, 
as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  sparkled  in  their 
new  white  robes ;  and  the  winding  stream,  near 
which  I  knew  the  old  camp  lay,  seemed  but  a 
mile  distant.  Even  the  tired  old  horse  raised 
his  head  as  if  encouraged  with  new  life.  I  soon 
found  the  hitherto  hidden  descent,  and  quickly 
gained  the  lower  ridge,  the  gradual  slope  of 
which  I  knew  would  bring  me  back  to  camp. 

For  full  thirty  minutes  the  sky  remained  clear, 
with  the  exception  of  large  fleecy  clouds  driv- 
ing across  its  face  ;  then,  as  suddenly,  the  wind 
swept  through  the  valleys,  and  all  became  dark 
and  threatening  as  before.  Near  the  old  camp, 
a  few  grouse  whirred  off,  started  up  by  the 
horse  ;  and  a  blacktail  trotted  across  our  road. 

On  arriving,  by  the  remaining  glimpses  of 
light,  I  found  the  camp  had  been  unmolested 
during  my  absence,  save  that  a  fox  hurried  away 
from  a  half-eaten  stale  fish  which  my  men  had 
left  behind. 

Perhaps  the  relation  of  this  incident  will  be 
regarded  as  evidence  of  my  superstition ;  but  I 
state  it  just  as  it  occurred,  and  leave  my  read- 
ers to  their  several  judgments- 
Finding  that  I  must  pass  the  night  as  best  I 
could,  I  first  fired  eight  shots  in  the  hope  of 
getting  an  answer,  the  result  being  as  fruitless 
as  before.     Then   unsaddling  "  Old    Re'ly,"    I 


ri-^tf-^ff"  vj»jpr^'«™-y: 


LOST  IN   THE   HOODOO  MOUNTAINS. 


\o\ 


.nges, 

their 
,  near 
but  a 
raised 
1  soon 
quickly 
ipe  of 
np. 

:l  clear, 
s  driv- 
le  wind 
le  dark 
I  camp, 
by   the 

road. 


pses 


of 


lolested 
ed  away 
len  had 

• 

will  be 
n ;  but  1 
ny  read- 

,s  best  I 
hope  of 
fruitless 

^e;ly."    1 


fastened  him  by  the  bridle  round  the  base  of  a 
small  quaking-asp,  thus  giving  him  a  chance  to 
nibble  the  little  he  could  by  scraping  aside  the 
snow. 

Now  came  the  important  crisis :  the  matches, 
were  they  wet,  or  dry  ? 

The  snow  had  turned  to  a  fine,  drizzling  rain: 
so  the  greatest  caution  had  to  be  used.  Getting 
some  small  logs,  the  dryest  which  I  could  find, 
I  slivered  some  chips,  and  tried  my  first  match. 
For. one  instant  it  flickered,  gave  one  spasmodic 
twitch,  and  then  puffed  out ;  number  two  did 
likewise  ;  and  now  all  depended  on  my  third 
and  last  hope.  Lighting  it,  I  carefully  held  it 
inside  of  my  hat,  and  watched  its  course.  It 
flickered,  burned  low,  and  at  last  blazed  out  with 
full  yellow  flame.  Approaching  close  to  my 
chips,  I  applied  the  light ;  and,  as  if  in  spite,  at 
this  very  instant  came  a  rush  of  wind,  and  noth- 
ing remained  in  my  hand  but  a  charred  stump, 
and  all  was  dark  again. 

Nothing  remained  but  to  wait  till  morning. 
So,  taking  the  little  piece  of  saddle-blanket,  I 
wrapped  it  round  my  head  and  shoulders,  sat 
down  on  the  lee  side  of  a  bowlder,  covered  my 
feet  with  the  saddle,  and  shivered. 

It  was  pitch  dark.  For  one  instant  I  caught 
sight  of  the  moon,  and  then  all  turned  to  night. 
To  add  to  my  discomfiture,  I  had  cut  my  thumb 


P.ncificM.VV.Ht3toryOept. 

PROVINCJAl.-  LlGRARY 
VICTOPiA,  B.  C. 


ill  ^ 

11)  •; 


p 


■(  ?-      I 


r 


I : 


11  •     ^'     % 


302 


FJi^OM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


nearly  to  the  bone  while  attempting  to  whittle 
some  chips  for  kindling  ;  and  the  blood  was  per- 
petually oozing  out,  appearing  reluctant  to  ever 
cease. 

The  length  of  that  night  seemed  interminable, 
the  only  sound  being  the  crunching  of  the 
horse.  Once  I  heard  a  far-off  noise  like  the 
howling  of  wolves,  which,  on  coming  nearer 
and  nearer,  proved  to  be  a  large  flock  of  geese 
passing  over  my  head.  About  midnight  the  sky 
cleared  sufficiently  for  me  to  see  the  ground, 
and  frighten  off  a  couple  of  cayutcs  snarling; 
at  a  distance.  About  two  a.m.  some  jack-rabbits 
hopped  into  camp,  rising  on  their  hind-legs,  and 
vanished  on  the  instant.  All  night  I  either 
paced  round  the  horse,  warming  my  hands  under 
his  mane,  or  lay  huddled  on  the  ground  crouched 
up  against  the  rocks. 

About  four  A.M.  a  few  strepks  of  light  appeared 
in  the  east,  and  I  began  to  get  ready  to  start. 
The  pheasant  killed  on  the  previous  day  still 
hung  to  my  saddle  ;  and  1  decided,  if  all  else 
failed,  to  eat  it  raw. 

Finding  a  piece  of  cardboard,  I  wrote  on  it 
the  following  words  :  — 

"Off  in  the  hope  of  reaching  Mammoth  Hot 
Springs.  Follow  immediately.  No  fooc,  no  m'ix- 1.-  i. 
Horse  played  out." 


?/i 


'  '7y:fi(?-'T''-^-^:y\--^'^'^  '^j^'f^^ 


-_V:  i^rr-^^wujj^^yr^ 


LOST  IN  THE  HOODOO  MOUNTAINS. 


303 


Tearing  my  handkerchief  into  strips,  I  tied 
them  into  a  line,  fastened  one  end  to  a  branch 
and  the  other  to  the  "-olled-up  paper;  placing 
the  tent-poles  against  the  tree  as  indicators. 
Mounting,  I  started  off  on  my  forty-mile  ride, 
which,  though  not  much  on  a  good  road  with 
a  fresh  horse,  is  something  when  alone  among 
the  mountains,  weak  from  hunger,  a  horse 
nearly  starved,  and  with  no  road  to  follow  save 
a  game-trail,  towards  which  I  should  have  sev- 
eral miles  to  travel  before  reaching. 

On  we  went,  wading  streams,  and  crossing 
bog-lands,  three  times  being  led  astray  by  fresh 
elk-tracks,  the  extra  exertion  forcing  me  to  eat 
a  piece  of  the  raw  buffalo- meat  which  was  still 
iti  my  pocket.  At  last,  by  accident,  we  came 
upon  the  longed-ibr  trail ;  and,  the  snow  having 
Kiared  away,  I  sav/  the  marks  of  fresh  horsc- 
tracks,  which  I  knew  must  have  been  made 
the  day  before. 

Still  onward  we  went,  foruifig  two  streams, 
into  one  of  which  the  old  horse  fell,  wetting  me 
all  over  ;  but  what  mattered  that  ?  I  was  safe, 
feeling,  that,  even  if  the  poor  cayiise  died,  I  had 
strength  enough  to  reach  the  Cook's  City  road, 
on  which  there  would  be  a  chance  of  meeting 
some  one  from  whom  I  could  buy  food. 

Finally,  after  some  hours  of  riding  and  walk- 
ing, I,  reached  the  cabin  near  Baronett's  Bridge. 


,  ^■ 


T^^\ 


304 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


t , 


'      i 


-^  ■■ 


Every  thing  was  deserted,  though  the  iron  kettle 
showed  '  ip-ns  of  having  lately  been  on  a  fire. 
Loosing  '  Reily,"  I  watched  him  for  a  sec- 

ond, and  fcLi  .opefiil^  on  observing  him  try  to 
nibble,  that  he  would  pull  t!  trough.  Crossing 
the  open  threshold  of  the  hut,  a  couple  of  rats 
scampered  over  the  floor,  frightened  away  from 
some  remnants  of  bread  and  cheese  which  the 
last  diner  had  left  behind  on  the  table.  Only 
the  hungry  can  really  appreciate  food;  and  these 
few  morsels,  to  a  man  who  had  not  eaten  for 
two  days  and  a  night,  proved  a  banquet. 

Presently  a  young  fellow  entered,  who  had 
charge  of  the  bridge  in  the  absence  of  the 
owner ;  and  we  soon  had  some  tea  and  cooked 
beans,  A  drummer  for  a  whiskey-house  came 
along,  and  a  glass  of  Kentucky's  wine  soon  put 
me  all  right.  Remembering  the  pheasant  which 
still  hung  to  my  saddle,  I  gave  it  as  my  sole 
little  offering ;  and  they  soon  made  a  meal  of 
it,  while  I,  lying  on  the  floor,  took  a  short  nap. 

Towards  evening  a  man  whom  I  had  met 
before  came  over  the  bridge  on  a  buckboard ; 
and,  my  horse  being  too  tired  to  go  the  remain- 
ing fifteen  miles  to  the  springs,  my  acquaintance 
kindly  offered  t>)  give  me  a  lift,  another  man 
proposing  to  ride  "Old  Reily"  in,  the  next 
morning.  After  seeing  that  the  old  horse  had 
a  good  feed  of  oats,  we  started  on  the  buck- 
board,  and  reached  the  hotc;!  tli?.t  niHit. 


LOST  IN  THE   HOODOO  MOUNTAINS. 


305 


After  chatting  with  father,  and  enjoying  a 
meal  sitting  at  a  real  table,  I  got  into  a  bed,  — 
a  luxury  which  I  had  not  enjoyed  for  a  whole 
month.  But  my  sleep  was  not  dreamless.  I 
imagined  myself  lost  far  away  in  the  snow- 
mountains  and  strange  ghostly  forests,  implor- 
ing and  encouraging  my  old  starved  horse  to 
go  on,  and  wondering  why  the  ground  was  so 
warm  and  dry  in  the  cold  wet  snow;  and,  hear- 
ing the  howling  winds,  — 

"  Starting,  I  waked,  and  for  a  season  after, 
Could  not  believe  but  that  I  was  "  (not  in  the  place  of 
Clarence,  but  in  the  Goblin  Mountains) . 


m  jj; 


m 


The  next  day  my  horse  came  in,  and  looked 
gratefully  as  I  gave  him  plenty  of  oats,  and 
enjoyed  seeing  him  eat.  Poor  old  horse  !  with 
whom,  when  both  were  exhausted,  I  divided  the 
last  bit  of  crust,  the  warmth  of  whose  body 
saved  me  from  freezing  to  death  that  awful 
night  in  the  mountains.  I  now  better  under- 
stand why  those  who  have  survived  great  perils 
together  become  deeply  attached.  Adieu,  a 
sorry  adieu,  to  poor  "  Old  Reily"!  I  sold  him 
to  a  man  who  promised  to  treat  him  kindly. 

Two  days  later  my  men,  with  the  rest  of  the 
horses,  returned,  and  told  their  story.  As  I  had 
supposed,  they  lost  the  trail  in  attempting  to 
follow  me,  as  did   <^he    packers    also,  and    thus 


306 


FA'OM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


separated.  They  wandered  far  away,  and  were 
out  all  night ;  but  as  they  had  food  and  fire,  with 
plenty  of  blankets,  and  all  the  comforts  of  the 
camp,  they  contemplated  7ny  hopeless  condition 
with  much  fortitude.  They  had  fired  signal- 
guns,  but  in  that  howling  tempest  a  rifle  could 
not  be  heard  five  rods.  Early  the  next  morn- 
ing they  found  the  old  camp,  and  read  my  notice, 
then  started  for  the  hotel,  which  they  reached 
in  two  days. 

When  I  parted  with  my  father  at  the  Great 
Falls,  he  ga.e  me  a  pocket-compass,  saying, 
"  You  may  need  it,  my  boy."  But  for  that  little 
instrument,  I  should  never  have  told  this  hunt- 
ing-story. 


a  i 


BM 


"  Rig-horn  "  ascend  to  the  highest  points  pos- 
sible, and  when  startled  never  look  up,  but 
expect  danger  from  below.  Their  color,  pur- 
plish gray,  varies  in  shade  according  to  the  time 
of  year ;  but  the  hair  is  too  brittle  and  crisp  to 
be  of  service,  being  apt  very  soon  to  break  and 
wear  out. 

To  the  inexperienced,  the  animals  so  resemble 
in  color  the  rocks  among  which  they  are  to  be 
found,  that  much  quickness  of  observation  is 
necessary  to  distinguish  them  from  the  rocks. 
They  lie  so  quietly  concealed  under  crags  within 
a  few  feet  of  the    hunter,  never  stirring  until 


LOST  IN   THE  HOODOO  AfOUNTA^NS. 


307 


their  pursuer  has  got  by,  that  we  found  it  a 
good  expedient  to  throw  pebbles  down  the  de- 
cHvities,  and  thus  arouse  them  from  their  hid- 
ing-places. In  the  early  morning,  before  going 
lower  to  feed,  as  they  stand  like  sentinels  on 
the  apex  of  some  huge  granite  tower,  with  their 
horns  cut  like  Grecian  cameos  against  the  sky, 
no  better  instance  could  be  presented  to  mark 
the  isolation  and  loneliness  of  the  region  in 
which  these  sturdy  animals  dwell.  Lack  of 
speed  is  compensated  for  by  their  agility  in 
climbing  ;  and,  knowing  this,  they  generally  live 
among  the  most  lofty  peaks  of  the  mountains. 
Their  hind-quarters,  being  white,  give  them, 
when  in  flight,  somewhat  the  appearance  of  a 
band  of  antelopes ;  and  I  have  seen  some  mats, 
half  white,  half  purple,  made  from  their  skins. 

In  winter  "big-horn"  occasionally  descend  to 
lower  regions  in  search  of  food,  the  snow  driv- 
ing them  from  their  securer  retreats.  A  field- 
glass  is  absolutely  necessary  for  hunting  them, 
by  the  help  of  which  much  time  is  saved  in 
scaling  peaks  and  stalking.  I  used,  while  hunt- 
ing elk  and  big  game,  a  .50-calibre  Winchester 
rifle,  pistol  grip,  carrying  six  balls,  five  being 
in  the  reserve  barrel,  and  burning  ninety-five 
grains  of  powder.  I  used  both  solid  and  ex- 
pansive balls,  but  found  the  solid  much  the  bet- 
ter, their  penetration  being  much  more  certain. 


if 


:i 


:|. 


m 


t-'-' 


l,>.. 


:t,l 


¥' 


"^'J 
S 


h 


I't ' 


308 


F/iOM  FIFTH  A  VENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


i.'i  I  i> 


The  elk  and  sheep  horns  I  had  packed  and 
sent  home. 

To  sum  up  my  month's  camping-tour,  I  may 
say,  that,  with  the  exception  of  my  lone  night's 
experience  above  narrated,  hunting  in  the  bra- 
cing air  among  the  high  mountains  of  Wyoming 
is  one  of  the  most  enjoyable  reminiscences  of 
my  life.  One's  appetite  is  splendid,  sleep  per- 
fect, and  general  health  excellent,  —  without 
which  blessings  what  man  can  be  happy  ?  and 
having  which,  many  luxuries  of  civilization  can 
be  dispensed  with.  I  should  like  to  hunt  again 
in  the  same  region. 


BACK  AT  MAMMOTH  SPRINGS  HOTEL.       3O9 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 


BACK  AT  MAMMOTH   SPRINGS  HOTEL.  — THE  SHOOT- 
ING OF  A   WOMAN. 

Sept.  1 6.  —  We  were  at  the  hotel.  Towards 
nightfall  a  little  boy  came  riding  up  to  the  hotel, 
on  horseback,  asking  for  the  doctor ;  requesting 
him  to  attend  a  woman  who  had  been  shot  in 
the  head  by  her  amant,  at  a  small  settlement 
called  Gardiner,  some  four  miles  distant. 

It  was  growing  dark,  the  road  was  lonely, 
and  the  doctor  asked  me  to  go  with  him.  We 
dashed  off  behind  a  good  pair  of  American 
horses,  and  soon  arrived  at  the  scene  of  the 
late  tragedy,  —  a  small  wooden  hut,  isolated  in 
a  dreary  waste,  surrounded  by  sage-brush. 

The  utter  recklessness  with  which  the  West- 
erner regards  life  was  again  shown  here.  Enter- 
ing the  dim-lighted  room,  we  found  the  woman, 
young,  pretty,  with  dark  hair  and  eyes,  lying  on 
the  bed.  The  flame  of  a  candle,  thrown  full  on 
the  side  of  her  head,  revealed  two  bullet-holes 
covered  by  hair  clotted  with  blood. 

The  would-be    murderer  —  a  handsome    fel- 


n^\ 


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m 

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!£'^: 


%. 


r-\.  I, 

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310 


y^-i^O^  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA, 


low,  gambler  and  saloon-keeper — sat  on  the 
edge  of  the  bed ;  his  face  having  a  sort  of 
puzzled,  dare-devil  expression,  as  if  in  doubt 
what  should  be  his  next  move.  Occasionally 
he  swaggered  about  the  room,  or  wiped  his 
forehead  with  a  flaming-red  pocket  bandanna, 
which  he  stuck  in  his  belt. 

After  cutting  away  the  hair,  and  probing  the 
wound,  the  ball  —  that  of  a  thirty- two  calibre  — 
was  found  to  have  slightly  depressed  the  skull 
three  inches  behind  the  ear,  coming  out  at  the 
back  of  the  head.  If  the  ball  had  been  a  forty- 
four,  death  would  in  all  probability  have  ensued 
immediately.  The  doctor,  after  giving  her  some 
morphine,  and  applying  an  ordinaiy  compress 
bandage,  and  giving  directions  that  she  should 
take  no  food  beyond  tea  and  toast,  left ;  and  we 
reached  the  hotel  about  nine  p.m. 

The  next  morning  (Sept.  27)  we  started  for 
Livingston.  We  had  to  go  about  six  miles  to 
reach  the  station ;  and,  passing  through  the  little 
village  of  Gardiner  before  mentioned,  the  driver 
stopped  to  water  his  horses.  A  remarkably 
fine-looking  man  came  to  the  spring  with  a 
bucket,  and  my  father  asked  him  if  the  woman 
who  was  shot  the  day  before  was  dead. 

"  No,"  he  cheerfully  replied.  "  All  the  devils 
in  hell  couldn't  kill  her." 

I  at  once  recognized  in    him    the  very  man 


ftACK  AT  MAMMOTH  SPRINGS  I/O  TEL. 


311 


who  had  committed  the  deed.  But  the  mnn 
was  never  even  arrested,  nor  his  crime  inquired 
into.  In  Montana,  and  all  through  that  region, 
if  a  man  steals  a  horse  he  is  pretty  sure  to  be 
hanged :  if  he  kills  a  man  in  a  brawl,  or  a 
woman  for  infidelity,  he  is  quite  sure  to  be  let 
alone. 

In  the  :ame  car  which  we  took  for  Living- 
ston, there  were  two  horse-thieves  in  the  sheriff's 
charge. 

At  the  Yellowstone,  and  along  the  route,  we 
saw  a  good  many  Englishmen,  several  of  whom 
had  known  my  father  when  he  was  Minister  to 
England.  Generally  they  were  pleasant,  culti- 
vated men ;  but  some  of  them,  assuming  "  swell  " 
manners  to  which  they  were  not  bred,  were 
ludicrously  awk\\rard  in  their  new  role.  But  they 
revealed  large  capacity  for  being  disagreeable  ; 
wearing  at  all  times  (except  when  they  hap- 
pened to  forget)  a  furtive  and  defiant  look,  as 
if  they  suspected  that  some  one  would  challenge 
their  pretensions.  These  found  the  West  "  a 
hard  road  to  travel." 


^i.iT^ 


V 


' 


Hi^ 


:  :i 


312  FS:OM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


t:  ! 


:    \ 


si    ' 


I  ► 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

LIVINGSTON  TO  ST.  PAUL. 

We  realized,  on  seeing  Livingston,  the  rapid- 
ity with  which  a  Western  town  may  rise.  Here 
a  town  of  two  hundred  houses,  well  filled,  has 
sprung  up  within  ten  months,  looking  very  ex- 
temporaneous of  course. 

On  the  1 8th  of  September  we  left  Livingston 
in  the  afternoon,  on  our  way  to  St.  Paul.  We 
were  surprised  to  find  so  much  fertile  land  along 
the  great  Northern  Pacific  road.  When  these 
lands  are  settled,  as  they  will  be,  the  business 
of  the  road  will  be  enormous:  it  is  only  a  ques- 
tion of  time.  Over  this  well-made  road,  from 
Livingston  to  St.  Paul,  the  journey  is  very  easy. 
The  Pullman  cars  and  the  dining  accommoda- 
tions are  excellent. 

On  the  evening  of  the  20th  we  reached  the 
well-built,  thriving  city  of  St.  Paul,  where  we 
met  Gov.  Ramsay,  senator  of  the  United  States. 

For  a  thousand  courtesies,  which  have  made 
our  Western  journeyings  so  pleasant,  we  are 
largely  indebted  to  Mr.  Henry  Villard,  the  presi- 


LIVINGSTON  TO  ST.  PAUL. 


313 


dent  of  the  Northern  Pacific  road,  and  of  the 
companies  with  which  it  is  connected. 

The  Act  of  Congress,  creating  the  Northern 
Pacific  Railroad  Company,  was  approved  July  2, 
1864. 

The  first  section  of  the  Act  contains  the  fol- 
lowing :  — 

"And  said  corporation  is  hereby  authorized  and 
empowered  to  lay  out,  locate,  construct,  furnish, 
maintain,  and  enjoy  a  continuous  railroad  and  tele- 
graph line,  with  the  appurtenances,  namely,  begin- 
ning at  a  point  on  Lake  Superior,  in  the  State  of 
Minnesota  or  Wisconsin ;  thence  westerly  by  the 
most  eligible  railroad  route,  as  shall  be  determined 
by  said  company,  within  the  territory  of  the  United 
States,  on  a  line  north  of  the  forty-fifth  degree  of 
latitude,  to  some  point  on  Puget  Sound,'  with  a 
branch,^  via  the  valley  of  the  Columbia  River,  to  a 
point  at  or  near  Portland,  in  the  State  of  Oregon." 

The  grant  was,  — 

"  Every  alternate  section  of  public  land,  not  min- 
eral, designated  by  odd  numbers,  to  the  amount  of 
twenty  alternate  sections  per  mile,  on  each  side  of 
said  railroad  line,  as  said  company  may  adopt, 
through  the  Territories  of  the  United  States,  and  ten 
alternate  sections  of  land  per  mile  on  each  side  of 
said  railroad,  whenever  it  passes  through  any  State, 

'  "  Puget  Sound,"  construed  to  mean  all  waters  connected  with 
Straits  of  Fuca  by  Act  of  March  i,  1869. 

*  Portland  Branch,  extended  to  Paget  Sound,  April  13,  i86g. 


it'll 

m 

ll 


.314 


FROiM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO   ALASKA. 


and  whenever,  on  the  line  thereof,  the  United  States 
have  tull  title,  not  reserved,  sold,  granted,  or  other- 
wise appropriated,  and  free  from  pre-emption,  or 
other  claims  or  rights,  at  the  time  the  line  of  said 
road  is  definitely  fixed,  and  a  plat  thereof  filed  in 
the  office  of  the  Commissioner  of  the  General  Land 
Office ;  and  whenever,  prior  to  said  time,  any  >f 
said  sections,  or  parts  of  sections,  shall  have  been 
granted,  sold,  reserved,  occupied  by  homestead  set- 
tlers, or  pre-empted  or  otherwise  disposed  of,  other 
lands  shall  be  selected  by  said  company  in  lieu 
thereof,  under  the  direction  of  the  Secretary  of  the 
Interior,  in  alternate  sections,  and  designated  by 
odd  numbers,  not  more  than  ten  miles  beyond  the 
limits  of  said  alternate  sections." 


This  grant  of  many  millions  of  acres  to  ihe 
railroad  caused  the  road  to  be  built,  and  thereby 
made  the  half  which  remained  to  the  govern- 
ment  worth  a  thousand  times  more  than  the 
whole  was  before  the  road  was  constructed. 
The  work  was  completed  early  in  September, 

1883. 

This  great  railroad,  starting  from  Duluth  on 
Lake  Superior,  and  from  St.  Paul  on  the  Mis- 
sissippi River,  makes  junction  at  Brainerd,  114 
miles  from  Duluth  and  136  miles  from  St.  Paul. 
Portland,  Or.,  ir>  1,889  niiles  from  Duluth,  and 
1,911  miles  from  St.  Paui. 

At  St.  Paul  we  saw  a  Chinaman  who  spoke 
English  pretty  well,  and  we  tried  to  learn  from 


LIVINGSTON  TO  ST.  PAUL. 


315 


d  States 
)r  other- 
ftion,   or 
;  of  said 
filed  in 
rnl  Land 
,  any    >f 
ive  been 
tead  set- 
of,  other 
■   in   lieu 
ry  of  the 
lated   by 
yond  the 


him  why  it  was  that  the  Chinese  left  their  hope- 
lessly ill  to  die  alone.  He  would  not  talk  upon 
the  subject,  or  give  the  least  information;  but 
he  did  not  d'^ny  the  custom,  or  expressly  admit 
it. 


s  to  ihe 
I  thereby 
govern- 
;han  the 
structed. 
ptember, 


uluth  on 
the  Mis- 
lerd,  114 
St.  Paul, 
iluth,  and 


* 


ho  spoke 
^arn  from 


Kr^'i 


i     ir 


316  FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 


^« 


li  f 


CHICAGO  AGAIN. 

On  the  24th  of  September  we  reached  Chicago 
again,  and  met  Lord  Coleridge,  whom  my  father 
had  known  in  England.  He  was  much  inter- 
ested in  Chicago,  as  every  stranger  is.  It  is 
a  city  of  wonderful  enterprise,  and  unparalleled 
in  the  rapidity  of  its  growth.  Its  hotels,  com- 
mercial blocks,  and  public  buildings  are  very 
fine.  The  Hall  of  Justice  is  quite  as  imposing 
as  Somerset  House  in  London. 

We  went  over  the  great  exhibition  of  engines, 
and  viewed  the  latest  railroad  contrivances  for 
facilitating  shunting,  coupling,  and  switching,  to 
say  nothing  of  Mr.  Pullman's  latest  essays  for 
comfort  and  convenience  in  his  cars,  made  at 
the  Pullman  manufacturing  village,  some  few 
miles  from  Chicago.  We  saw  the  "Samson," 
in  which  the  Prince  of  Wales  once  rode,  one  of 
the  oldest  engines  in  existence.  It  was  built  in 
1838,  in  England,  for  a  short  line  in  Nova 
Scotia.  There  was  also  a  rickety  old  contri- 
vance built  in   1835  ;  ^'^^  "John  Bull,"  made  in 


CHICAGO  AGAIN. 


317 


!hicago 
'  father 
I  inter- 
It  is 
ralleled 
s,  com- 
-e  very 
iposing 

engines, 
ices  for 
hing,  to 
says  for 
Tiade  at 
me  few 
amson," 
,  one  of 
built  in 
n  Nova 
I  contri- 
made  in 


England  in  1^31  ;  the  "Arabian,"  in  1834. 
Nearly  side  by  side  v^^as — as  is  generally  the 
case  in  all  shows — the  great  extreme,  a  Shaw 
locom.otive,  vast  in  height,  built  during  the  last 
year,  having  made  a  mile  in  forty-seven  seconds. 

If  from  1783  to  1883  we  have  seen  such 
marvels,  what,  with  increased  facilities  for  inven- 
tion, can  we  not  hope  for  in  the  next  century? 
Shall  we  not  navigate  the  air,  skim  mountains, 
and  use  a  means  of  destruction  akin  to  "z/rz"/," 
v>'hich  Bulwer  speaks  of  in  his  "Coming  Race"? 

Went  over  the  Calumet  Club,  "v' '  ich  certainly 
is  very  beautiful. 

Chicago,  from  its  geographic  position  its 
natural  advantages  for  commerce,  and  from  the 
marvellous  enterprise  of  its  citizens,  is  destined 
to  become  one  of  the  great  cities  of  the  earth. 
Its  wealth  is  too  rapid,  and  its  extravagance  too 
great,  for  its  own  good. 

We  found  that  the  people  of  Chicago  take 
their  fashions  from  New  York  (as  we  take  ours 
from  England),  in  which  they  have  lately  had 
eminent  success.  A  young  man  who  had  seen 
polo  at  Newport  wished  to  introduce  the  fashion- 
able game  in  Chicago;  and,  selecting  nine  other 
youths,  they  proclaimed  the  day  when  the  tour- 
nament would  take  place.  The  fashion,  on 
horseback,  in  victorias,  landaus,  and  with  four- 
in-hand,  repaired  to  the  field.     These  handsome 


?J    Hi. 


n 


II     I 


1 

1 

it 

i; 

318 


/'/POiW  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO   ALASKA. 


young  men,  gorgeous  in  their  tightly  fitting 
togs,  mounted  their  ten  ponies,  —  each  of  reg- 
ulation height,  —  took  their  places,  and  waited 
the  signal  to  charge.  The  spectators  looked 
on  in  breathless  suspense.  The  signal  was 
given — and,  as  if  by  preconcerted  arrangement 
among  those  mustangs,  each  buck-d  his  man 
into  the  air  and  over  his  head  !  The  mallets 
were  all  dropped  ;  and  without  a  rider  every 
pony  ran  away,  and  some  of  them  were  not 
caught  for  two  days  after.  Even  in  polo-play- 
ing, Chicago  can  beat  the  world. 


HOME  AGAIN. 


319 


CHAPTER   XXX. 


every 
e   not 


HOME  AGAIN. 

Here,  at  the  end  of  September,  we  are  back 
in  New  York  all  safe  and  well,  after  an  interest- 
ing journey,  in  which  we  saw  every  variety  of 
scenery  and  life.  And  now,  as  I  sit  on  the 
veranda  of  our  country-house  on  the  Hudson, 
and  look  across  the  river  to  West  Point,  and 
over  the  Newburgh  Bay  towards  the  Catskill 
Mountains,  I  feel  that  I  have  seen  nothing  more 
beautiful,  and  fully  realize  that  "there  is  no 
place  like  home." 

Note.  —  On  our  journey,  discussions  frequently  arose 
touching  the  questions  of  latitude  and  longitude,  distances,  the 
difference  in  time,  the  difference  beu/een  a  geographic  and  an 
English  mile,  and  as  to  how  the  length  of  a  nautical  mile  was 
determined,  and  what  was  meant  by  the  metric  system. 

These  questions  are  answered  in  the  next  chapter. 


0  'il 


320  FROM  liFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 


CH/|PTER   NOT  TO   BE   READ. 


I 


This  dry  chapter  of  dates,  distances,  differ- 
ences in  time,  etc.,  should  be  omi<^ted  by  the 
general  reader.  It  contains  information  quite 
elementary ;  familiar  to  the  well-instructed  school- 
boy, and  mostly  forgotten  by  mature  people. 

An  imaginary  line  drawn  around  the  earth, 
equidistant  at  every  point  from  the  poles,  and 
dividing  the  globe  into  two  hemispheres,  —  the 
north  and  the  south,  —  is  called  the  equator. 

This  great  equatorial  circle  is  divided  into 
three  hundred  and  sixty  degrees ;  each  degree, 
into  sixty  minutes ;  each  minute,  into  sixty  sec- 
onds. 

A  minute  of  the  degree  is  a  geographic  or 
nautical  mile. 

The  nautical  mile  differs  in  length  from  our 
English  mile :  the  nautical  mile  is  the  length  of 
a  sixtieth  part  of  a  degree  of  the  equator. 

The  English  mile,  which  came  to  us  by  in- 
heritance, has  no  natural  basis  whatever.  It 
is  purely  arbitrary,  —  created  by  statute  35  of 


M 


CHAPTER  NOT  TO  BE  READ. 


321 


differ- 
Dy  the 

quite 
chool- 
Dle. 

earth, 
es,  and 
,  —  the 
tor. 

id  into 
degree, 
xty  sec- 

phic  or 

om  our 
ngth  of 

>  by  in- 
ver.     It 

e  35  of 


Queen  Elizabeth,  making  320  rods,  or  5,280 
feet,  a  mile :  hence  it  is  often  called  a  "  statute 
mile."  The  Roman  mile  was  438  feet  shorter 
than  the  English  mile.  The  German  mile  is  5 1 
English  miles.  The  German  short  n:Ile  is  about 
four  times  the  English  mile.  The  Danish  and 
Prussian  mile  each  is  4.7  English  miles.  The 
Swedish  mile  is  6.648  English  miles.  The 
French  kilometre  is  but  0.6213  of  an  English 
mile.  Sixty  nautical  miles  are  generally  stated 
to  equal  69^  English  miles,  but  this  is  not  strict- 
ly accurate.  All  geographic  calculations  are 
made  in  nautical  miles :  hence  the  circumfer- 
ence of  the  earth  is  but  21,600  nautical  miles, — 
that  is,  24,904/3  miles  English. 

Latitude  is  the  distance  north  or  south  from 
the  equator,  and  is  reckoned  in  degrees.  A 
parallel  of  latitude  is  a  line  drawn  around  the 
globe,  equidistant  at  every  point  from  the  equa- 
tor. A  meridian  is  a  circle  drawn  around  the 
globe,  passing  through  the  poles,  and  cutting 
the  equator  at  right  angles.  Latittide  is  reck- 
oned from  the  equator,  either  north  or  south. 
Longitude  is  reckoned  from  some  meridian  east 
or  west.  Any  place  may  be  selected  as  the 
meridian  from  which  to  depart,  and  differs  in 
different  countries.  In  France,  Paris  is  taken  ; 
in   England,  the  Royal  Observatory  at  Green- 


i 


V:JA 


IV 


322 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


wich ;  in  America,  Greenwich  is  generally  adopt- 
ed. Both  in  navigation  and  geography,  the 
nautical  mile  is  used,  which  is  a  minute  of  an 
equatorial  degree.  Several  astronomers  have 
measured  the  degree,  but  no  two  make  it  the 
same  exact  length.  Of  course  a  nautical  mile 
is  the  sixtieth  part  of  an  equatorial  degree ;  but 
how  many  rods  or  English  feet  equal  the  sixti- 
eth part  of  the  degree  ?  The  English  compute 
it  at  6,087.84  feet ;  the  Americans,  at  6,086  feet; 
but  different  authors  vary  somewhat.  It  is  suf- 
ficiently accurate  to  say  that  a  nautical  mile  is 
807  feet  longer  than  an  English  mile. 


■  t 


:i:;^. 


■1!-; 


Whenever  the  sun  in  his  course  crosses  a 
given  meridian,  it  is  mid-day  along  that  meridi- 
an. The  sun  passes  over  one  degree  in  four 
minutes  of  time ;  it  takes  sixty  minutes  of  time 
to  pass  over  fifteen  degrees  of  space. 

New  York  is  74°  west  longitude.  A  place 
which  is  89°  west  will  be  reached  just  one  hour 
later.  Four  minutes  of  time  are  required  to 
pass  over  each  degree,  and  four  seconds  of  time 
to  pass  each  second  of  a  degree. 

Having  the  longitude,  to  fi7td  the  time.  —  Mul- 
tiply the  degrees,  minutes,  and  seconds  by  4, 
and  the  product  is  the  time. 

New  York  is  74°  west  longitude. 

74X4=296  minutes,  which  equals  4  hours 
and  56  minutes. 


■ 


ca 


CHAPTER  NOT   TO  BE  READ. 


323 


Having  the  time,  to  find  the  longittcde.  — 
Reduce  the  hours  to  minutes ;  and,  if  there  are 
seconds  also,  divide  the  minutes  and  seconds 
by  4. 

San  Francisco  is  8  hours,  9  minutes,  and  44 
seconds  slow,  Greenwich  time:  that  is,  489  min- 
utes 44  seconds;  divided  by  4=  122°  26' west 
longitude. 

A  watch,  taking  the  true  time  at  New  York, 
as  every  one  knows,  will  be  too  slow  if  carried 
east,  and  too  fast  if  carried  west ;  but  its  gain 
or  loss  does  not  depend  upon  the  miles  trav- 
elled, but  upon  the  degrees  of  longitude  reached. 
In  going  toiuards  the  east  or  west,  you  may 
travel  a  thousand  miles,  and  not  gain  or  lose  so 
much  in  time  as  you  would  if  going  due  east  or 
west  only  fifty  miles  on  a  parallel  of  latitude. 
The  difference  in  time  depends  wholly  upon  the 
difference  in  meridian.  If  you  travel  due  west 
nine  hundred  geographic  miles,  you  will  gain 
one  hour  in  time ;  but  in  reaching  the  same 
point  you  may  travel  two  thousand  miles,  and 
gain  no  more  in  time. 

The  following  table  contains  the  length  of  a 
degree  of  longitude  for  each  degree  of  lati- 
tude :  — 


^1 


i 


V  t-.' 


tJkk 


I  I  > 


324 


F/iOAf  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO   ALASKA. 


_rt 

Miles. 

i 

Miles. 

^      Miles. 

« 

Miles. 

■1 

Miles. 

« 

Miles. 

0 

0 

0   ! 
1 

0 

0 

0 

I 

59-99 

16 

57-67 

31    51-43 

46 

41.68 

61 

29.09  j 

76 

'4-52 

2 

59.96 

«7 

57  ■3« 

32    50.88 

47 

40.92 

62 

28.17 

77 

13-50 

3 

,'59-92 

18    57.06 

.33.50-32 

48 

40.15 

63 

27.24 

78 

12.47 

4 

.S9.«5 

19156-73 

34  149-74 

49 

39-36 

64 

26.30 

79 

•1-45 

5 
6 

59-77 
59-67 

20 
21 

56. 3« 

35  149- '5 

50 
51 

38 -57 

65 

66 

25-36! 
24.40  1 

80 
81 

10.42 

56.01 

36 

48.54 

37-76 

9-39 

7 

59-55 

22 

55-63 

37 

47.92 

52 

36-94 

67 

23-44! 

82 

8.35 

S 

59-42 

23 

55-23 

3« 

47-28 

53 

36.11 

68 

22.48 

83 

7-3' 

9 

59.26 

24 

54.81 

39 

46.63 

54 

35-27 

69 

21.50 

84 

6.27 

10 

59.08 
58.89 

25 

54 -3« 

40 

45-96 

55 

34-41 

70 

20.52 

85 
86 

5-23 
4-19 

26 

53-93 

41  ,45.28 

56 

33-55 

71 

19-53 

12 

58.68 

27 

53-46 

42  '44.59 

57 

32.68 

72 

18.  S4 

87 

3-'4 

13 

58.4b 

28 

52.97 

43   43-88 

58 

31.80 

73 

17-54 

88 

2.09 

14 

58.22 

29 

52-47 

44    43- 16 

59 

30.90 

74 

16.54 

89 

1.05 

15 

57-95 

30 

51.96 

45    42-43 

00 

30.00 

75 

•5-53 

90 

0.00 

Gerard  Mercator  was  born  in  the  Netherlands 
in  15 12.  He  published  a  chart  in  1556,  which 
some  forty  years  later  came  into  general  use 
in  navigation.  In  the  Mercator  charts  and 
maps,  the  earth  is  supposed  to  be  a  sphere ; 
yet  the  meridians,  instead  of  converging  towards 
the  poles,  as  they  do  on  the  globe,  are  drawn 
parallel  to  each  other.  The  distance  between 
the  meridians,  therefore,  is  everywhere  too 
great,  except  at  the  equator.  To  compensate 
for  this,  the  degrees  of  latitude  are  proportion- 
ally enlarged.  On  the  artificial  globe,  and  on 
maps  taken  therefrom,  the  parallels  of  latitude 
are  drawn  at  equal  distances  ;  but  on  Mercator's 
chart  the  distances  between  the  parallels  increase 
from  the  equator  to  the  poles,  so  as  everywhere 


m 


CHAPTER  NOT  TO  BE  READ. 


325 


Miles. 

14 

52 

•3 

50 

1  "^ 

47 

1  r 

•45 

9-39 

8. 

35 

7- 

3' 

6. 

27 

5 

23 

4 

'9 

3 

'4 

2 

.09 

I 

•05 

0 

■z 

to  have  the  same  ratio  to  the  distances  between 
the  meridians  which  they  have  on  the  globe. 
For  example,  in  latitude  60°  the  distance  be- 
tween the  meridians  is  but  half  what  it  is  at 
the  equator :  hence  a  degree  of  latitude  is  there 
represented  as  hvicc  as  great  as  at  the  equator. 

A  map  constructed  upon  the  principles  of 
"  Mercator's  Projection "  presents  the  entire 
surface  of  the  earth  upon  a  single  plane,  which 
is  a  rectangular  parallelogram. 

The  maps  and  charts  in  this  book  are  con- 
structed upon  Mercator's  plan  ;  and  thv.3  Alaska 
is  shown  in  its  true  relation  to  British  Colum- 
bia, to  the  United  States,  and  to  Asia. 


Places  in  Europe  and  America  of  nearly  the  same 

Latitude. 


Paris     .     .     . 

.  48°  50'  N 

Victoria   .     .     . 

48°  25i'  N. 

Madrid      .     . 

•  40°  25' 

New  York    .     . 

40°  42' 

Naples  .     .     . 

■40°  51' 

Montauk  Point. 

40°  04' 

Rome    .     .     . 

.  41°  55' 

f  Newport  .     .     . 
(  Chicago  .     .     . 

41°  39' 
41°  37' 

Cannes .     .     . 

•  43°  31' 

Boston     .     .     . 

42°  41' 

(Mexico    .     .     . 

19°  20') 

Balmoral    .     . 
Aberdeen  .     . 

•  57°  03' 

•  57°  09' 

\  Sitka  (Alaska)  . 

57°  30' 

North    Cape 

of 

Pt.Barrow(Alas- 

Norway .     . 

.  7x°    0' 

ka)  .     .     .     . 

71°  13' 

When  it  is  midnight  at  Canton,  it  is  midday  at  New  York. 


526 


FROM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO   ALASKA. 


■A'' 


Distances  from  New   York  to  San  Francisco  and  Places 
intermediate,  by  Union  and  Central  Pacific. 


New  York  to  Chicago  . 

913 

miles. 

Chicago  to  Omaha 

501 

Oinaha  to  Sherman 

549 

Omaha  to  Continental  Divide 

.        737 

"      to  Thousand-Mile  Tree 

,     1 ,000 

"      to  Ogden 

1,032 

"      to  Wadsworth  . 

1,587 

"      to  California  line 

'^^(i2^2> 

"      to  Summit 

1,667 

"      to  Sacramento  . 

1,776 

Sacramento  to  San  Francisco 

91 

New  York  to  San  Francisco 

3,281 

Distances  from  New  York  to  Portland  and  to  Astoria  by 

Northern  Pacific. 


1,322  miles> 


New  York  to  Chicago 

913 

miles. 

Chicag 

0  to  St.  Paul   . 

409 

« 

St.  Paul  to  Minneapolis 

10 

miles. 

to  Brainard   . 

136 

<< 

to  Fargo 

274 

<< 

to  Bismarck  . 

469 

« 

to  Mandan    . 

474 

« 

to  Glendive  . 

690 

u 

to  Billings 

915 

« 

to  Livingston 

1,030 

« 

to  Bozeman  . 

1,055 

« 

to  Helena     . 

1,154 

« 

to  Portland  . 

• 

.                . 

Portland  to  Astoria,  by  boat 
'  New  York  to  Astoria 


1,911      " 

3,233  miles. 
120      " 


•  3»353  miles. 


f 


CHAPTER  NOT  TO  BE  READ. 


327 


<( 

(I 
<< 
(< 
<( 
« 

« 
« 


7>^^  Metric  System  of  lengths,  weights,  and 
measures  of  capacity,  etc.,  introduced  into 
France  many  years  ago,  and  since  adopted  by 
many  of  the  Continental  governments,  is  based 
upon  the  idea  of  an  u'. changeable  natural  stand- 
ard, the  multiples  and  subdivisions  of  which 
follow  in  decimal  progression. 

By  measuring  an  arc  of  the  meridian,  the 
distance  from  the  equator  to  the  pole  —  meas- 
ured as  along  the  surface  of  still  water  —  was 
<:alculated :  this  was  divided  into  ten  million 
parts ;  and  one  of  these  parts  was  taken  for 
the  unit  of  length,  and  called  a  metre,  from  the 
Greek  word  /utrpov  (a  measure). 

The  unit  of  capacity,  both  dry  and  liquid,  is 
called  a  litre,  and  is  a  cubic  measure  of  which 
the  side  is  a  tenth  part  of  the  metre. 

The  weight  of  the  volume  of  distilled  water 
at  the  greatest  density  (39°. 29  Fah.)  which  this 
cubic  measure  can  contain  is  called  a  kilogram  ; 
a  thousandth  part  of  which  is  made  the  unit  of 
weight,  and  denominated  a  gram. 

The  units  of  length,  superficies,  solidity,  and 
weight,  are  all  correlative  ;  two  data  only  being 
used,  —  the  metre,  and  the  weight  of  the  cube 
of  water. 

The  multiples  of  these  measures,  proceeding 
in  decimal  progression,  are  marked  by  the  pre- 
fixes, deca,  hecta,  kilo,  myria,  taken  from  the 


11 


1/  (-■ 


m 


WkL^j^ 


328 


F/WM  FIFTH  AVENUE    TO  ALASKA. 


u 


Greek  numerals ;  and  ttie  subdivisions  follow- 
ing tlie  same  order,  by  deci,  centi,  milli,  from 
the  Latin  numerals. 

By  careful  measurement  the  metre  was  found 
to  be  39.3707904  English  inches;  and  stand- 
ards of  the  metre  and  of  the  kilograni  were 
constructed,  and  depoijited  among  the  ai chives 
of  France,  where  they  remain. 

But  in  American  measure  the  meire  is  39.- 
36850535  inches:  the  American  standard  yard 
being  longer  than  the  English  by  0.00087  inch. 

A  foot  as  established  by  law  in  the  United 
States  equals  ~^T%  ol  the  length  of  a  seconds- 
pendulum  in  the  City  Hall  of  the  city  of  New 
York. 

The  Are  is  the  unit  of  surface  in  the  metric 
system,  and  contains  100  square  metres,  which 
equal  1 1 9.6  square  yards. 

The  Litre  is  the  unit  of  the  measures  of  ca- 
pacity, both  dry  and  liqui('  and  is  the  volume 
of  a  cubic  decimetre  containing  i.0567  liquid 
quarts. 

The  Kilogram  equals  in  weight  2.2046 
pounds. 

The  Gram  equals  in  weight  15.432  grains, 
avoirdupois. 

It  is  a  decimal  system,  wonderful  in  its  sim- 
plicity, and  of  unvarying  perfection ;  under  it 
there  is  but  one  kind  of  weight  or  measure  or 


^ 


CHAPTER  NOT  TO  BE  READ. 


329 


t- 


Standard  of  capacity,  and   all   calculations   are 
made  in  the  most  easy  manner. 

It  was  adopted  in  France  in  1801  ;  it  was 
legalized  ii  England  in  1844,  and  also  in  the 
United  States  two  years  later.  But  neither  in 
England  nor  America  has  its  adoption  been 
made  compulsory,  nor  has  its  use  become  gen-  ^ 
eral. 


c 


fi;i 


